Unforgettable
by Twiki99
Summary: Sequel to Remember Me.    Voyager is back home, and, as the senior staff are enjoying a meal in a small cafe, Tom meets his dream woman. Now, as they realize they both had been dreaming of each other, they begin to explore their relationship.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Unforgettable  
>Author: Twiki99<br>Date Posted: May, 2011  
>Rating: K<br>Codes: T Paris other  
>Archive: Here anywhere else. Please ask first<br>Disclaimer: _Paramount and Viacom own Star Trek and all Characters of Star Trek. The story and Jill are mine. I am not making a dime on this. I am doing this and other stories for purely mine and others enjoyment._  
>Summary: Sequel to Remember Me. You may want to read that first to understand this storyline. Voyager is back home, and, as the senior staff are enjoying a meal in a small cafe, Tom meets his dream woman. Now, as they realize they both had been dreaming of each other, they begin exploring their relationship together.<p>

Chapter 1

He stood, looking down into her eyes, and realized that this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He knew he would do anything for her, and that, even though they had just met in person, he loved her with all his heart. He knew that his friends and his parents where watching them but he didn't care. Right now, there was no one else that existed in his world but this beautiful woman who was staring up at him with a look of shock and...was it love on her face? He was sure he had a goofy look on his face, as he sat down opposite her and reached out and took her hand in his. For a moment, he just looked at their fingers entwined and then realized that he couldn't determine where his ended and hers began. His face softened as he looked again at her face and said

"My name is Tom...Tom Paris."

She looked straight into his eyes and saw the love and affection there, and realized that this was the man in her dream. After a year of having a dream of a man she had never met, and what their life could be like, she had fallen hopelessly in love with him. And now, looking at him she saw he was returning that love. Her heart soared and she shyly smiled at him and said

"My name is Jill Morgan."

He sighed and replied

"I've always wondered what your name was...I've always called you Sunshine. You were the sunshine that lit up my life."

He continued to gaze at her and she shyly dipped her head for a moment, but then looked back up at him and murmured

"I know...you always told me I was the sunshine in your soul. It always made me feel... special."

His face lit up and he said

"Then you'll always be my sunshine."

He gently lifted up her hand and, turning her palm up, he lightly brushed his lips across it in a kiss.

"We need to talk, but I need to let my friends and my parents know. Come on, I want to introduce you and then lets find some place to talk."

He stood and reached for her hand. She stood and he took her hand, and they walked over to the other table. Everyone there hadn't taken their eyes off the two the whole time, and now Tom said with a smile on his face.

"I'd like you all to meet Jill. Jill...my parents Admiral and Mrs. Paris."

She seemed a little overwhelmed at the looks she was receiving, so he pulled her closer and enveloped her in an embrace. She relaxed and he continued.

"And these are my shipmates..Captain Janeway, Chakotay, Mr. Tuvok,The Doc, Seven of Nine, B'Elanna, and Harry."

Each in turn smiled at her as they were introduced and she returned the smile. Mr Tuvok, of course only nodded to her. She wasn't sure why they were looking at her with interest and wonder. Even Tom's father seemed intrigued. The look on his mother's face though was soft and accepting. The smile on her face was welcoming. Tom continued

"We need to go and talk. I hope you don't mind if we leave?"

He was looking at his parents, but he heard the rest of the people assembled say that they didn't mind. His father had a surprised look on his face, but, looking at his mother, he saw the smile and his mother looked...happy. His father said

"Not at all, son. We'll see you later at home. Enjoy yourselves. Nice to meet you Jill."

Tom's mom had reached out and took hold of her hand and said

"Yes, dear, it is very nice to meet you."

Jill looked at them and said

"It's nice to meet you too...all of you."

Tom was all smiles and the look on his face could run the warp core aboard Voyager as he said

"Good night...Mom, Dad I'll see you later at home."

He turned, and as they walked out of the cafe, he never let go of her. It was almost as if he was afraid that if he did, she would disappear. She seemed to feel the same way, as she had also put her arm around his waist and seem to be hanging on to him too. As they all watched them exit, the soft voice of Mrs. Paris was heard around the table.

"Welcome to the family, Jill."

Owen looked at his wife and saw tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. He then realized he also had a wide smile on his face. Their son had found his life mate.

The cafe was right across the street from Golden Gate Park, and that's where they went. They walked for a while in silence, and when they came to a bench that overlooked the bridge, they sat. It was summer, but there was a sight breeze coming off the bay, so Tom helped her to put her shawl around her shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her and as she snuggled up to him, he placed a kiss on her forehead. He heard her sigh and to anyone who saw them it was obvious that they were in love. Still they just sat and seemed content to just be in each others arms. The moon had risen and they enjoyed watching it, as the light reflected off the bridge. They had been sitting there for about fifteen minutes before Tom said

"I've had the dream for over three years. It started after an accident on the bridge. We encounter some sever turbulence, and it threw me to the deck. It knocked me out and the next thing I remember was waking up in sickbay. I had lost my memory and didn't know who or where I was. But I remembered a place...a meadow. I was in this incredible meadow..."

"With wildflowers everywhere. You were lying on you're back looking up at the clouds...I was with you..."

Jill said. He looked at her and said

"You've had the same dream."

It was a statement not a question. Somehow he knew she had. It seemed so natural that she had. Now he asked

"How long?"

"Almost a year now. It was so real that I had to believe it was really true. I began looking for you, but never found you...until tonight."

She looked up at him and he pulled her into a passionate kiss. She responded and the kiss deepen. For a moment, nothing else existed. Just him. He was her world. When they came up for air, she whispered

"I love you. I have for these last nine months."

She looked deeply into his beautiful blue eyes and saw the hunger in them as he said.

"I've loved you for three years. I'm so glad I've finally found you. Jill, I want to marry you, and spend the rest of my life with you. I won't rush you though. We need to get to really know each other first, but I'll say it now...I love you and you're not getting rid of me."

He smiled at her and she could see the humor and mischievousness in him. He was just what she wanted. She was ready to say yes, but knew he was right. They did need to get to know each other first. Being a dream lover wasn't enough. She smiled at him now and with a little bit of mischief in her voice said.

"We have all the time in the world...but lets not wait to long."

He smiled and say with love in his eyes and voice.

"No... not too long at all."

They sat there until the wee hours of the morning before he walked her home with the promise of seeing each other in the morning.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was 0215 when Tom got home to his parents home. He let himself in as quietly as possible, as he didn't want to wake his parents. He removed his shoes and began to creep to the stairs, when he heard his mother's voice say

"You're in late son."

He turned and saw both of his parents sitting in the chairs by the fireplace. With a grin on his face, he came over and bent down and gave his mom a kiss, and then sat down on the sofa opposite of them.

"Tell us about this young lady and the dream you've been having."

His father said as he took a sip of the mug of coffee he held. Tom took a deep breath and said.

"Dad, Mom...She's everything I've ever wanted. She's kind, gentle, funny..."

The look on his face was one of complete love. It was the look he had given to his father when he had told him he wanted to marry Elizabeth. Thinking back forty-five years ago, he remembered what his father had told him, and now he said it to his son.

"Son, if she is the one, then love her with all your heart and soul."

"Oh god Dad, Mom, I have loved her for three years now. I know that seems weird, but I've dreamed of her for three years."

He told them all about his dream, leaving no detail out and they listened without speaking. Once he had finished, his mother said.

"Tom, she seems a lovely girl, and,even though I don't understand how you could dream of a woman and a place so accurately, I'm glad you've found her. She would be most welcome into the family."

He smiled at his mom and said

"Thanks, mom. I do love her so much, and I plan to marry her...The funny thing is, she's had the same dream too, although not as long. She told me that she has dreamed of me and our place for a year now."

"Interesting."

His father said. Tom grinned, as it reminded him of a typical Tuvok statement. But then he remembered his father knew Tuvok well, as they had taught at the academy together.

They sat there in silence for a moment, and then Tom said.

"I'm going to pick Jill up for brunch tomorrow, and then I want to give her a tour of San Francisco. She's only been here for two weeks. She's from Chicago. Then, I'd like to bring her home for dinner. I'd like us all to get to know each other. Do you have any plans tomorrow night?"

He asked, hoping his parents wouldn't have a previous commitments.

"No, we have no plans, except making you're favorite dinner."

His mother smiled at him. He looked at her a little confused, and she then thought that he didn't remember.

"When you were growing up, you loved my Chicken Alfredo and fresh baked bread. You couldn't get enough of it. I'll be making that for you and Jill."

He smiled at his mom, and wished he could remember his life. But now he had a new life to build, and it now included the woman of his dreams. He stifled a yawn, and rose as he said

"I'm calling it a day. I promised Jill I'd pick her up at 10:45 for brunch. At least I can get six hours sleep. Goodnight mom...dad."

He leaned down and gave his mom a kiss and gave his dad a hug. Then he turned and went upstairs to his room, his parents watching as he climbed the stairs. They were so glad to have their son back, and were really looking forward to meeting formally the girl that was destined to be his wife and their daughter-in-law.

He stood before her door, and rang the bell. He was wearing black slacks and a blue shirt that his mom had said brought out the blue in his eyes. He wanted to look his best. The door opened and there she was. His jaw dropped, and he just stared at her. She was beautiful. She was dressed in a floral dress that came to mid calf, It was a cream colored background and the flowers were lavender and yellow sprigs of small blooms. She wore a lace short sleeve sweater over the dress and she had some flowers in her hair. He just couldn't keep his eyes off her.

"You are so beautiful."

He whispered as he came in. She blushed and said

"Thank you Tom. You look nice too. That shirt brings out the color of you're blue eyes."

She smiled shyly at him. He was so handsome, and she loved looking into his gorgeous eyes. She still remembered the first time in her dream that she had looked into his eyes, and how she had lost herself in those eyes. Now, she was losing herself again. She just sighed and thought _this man is all I've ever wanted._

"I hope you're hungry, I know a great place we can go for brunch, and then I thought we'd have a tour of the old section of town. Are you ready?"

She nodded, and picked up her purse. They walked to the corner, and caught a transport. When they arrived at the restaurant, they were shown to a table by the window with a view of the garden. Once they were seated, they ordered. As they waited for the food to come, they continued their conversation of last night. He learned of her family, that she had been an only child. She had grown up in Chicago and, when she had graduated from college, she had gotten a job writing technical manuals. She enjoyed writing, and had been working on a novel for the last year. When he asked her what it was about, she had blushed and admitted it was a romance novel. He had chuckled and told her about B'Elanna and how she loved reading Klingon romance novels. When their meal came, they began eating and she told him about losing her parents two years ago, and how it had been hard on her at the time. How she had gone into a deep depression and how after a year, she had quit her job. It was at that time, that she had started to have the dream, just as she had hit rock bottom in her life. The dream had saved her life and helped her to pull herself out of the depression. And it was two weeks ago that she had the urge to move to San Francisco, which she now knew was the same day that Voyager had returned from the DQ. They had finished eating and were now drinking coffee as they talked.

"It's almost like we have been brought together by destiny. It's so strange."

Tom said as he took a sip of coffee.

"It's almost like fate has brought us together."

She nodded and then said.

"Tell me about you. What has you're life been like?"

He smiled, and then sobered and said

"Well, I actually lost my memory that day on the bridge, so what happened before that day I don't remember. But I have read all my files, and as a young man, I made some bad decisions."

He told her all about his troubles, how he had been responsible for Caldik Prime, lying to starfleet and being kicked out, his time as a drunk and how he had joined the Maquis and got caught, his time at Auckland, and how Captain Janeway had given him a second chance at life. He held nothing back, and she listened to him. He had watched her closely, but all he saw was compassion and love on her face. He realized that she didn't care what he had done, and he was filled with so much love for her. Now she said softly

"I'm glad you've had a second chance at life and that you are getting back with you're father. Believe me, I know how important family is. I'm glad you have this chance to reconnect with you're family."

She smiled at him and he grinned back.

"Yeah, I'm getting to know them again. My mom is just great. She's so loving and supportive of me. And dad is really trying hard to be the father he always wanted to be for me."

"You're mother seemed so nice last night. She really made me feel welcome."

"Oh, I'd like you to come home tonight for dinner and really get to know them. Mom said she'd make her special Chicken Alfredo and fresh baked bread."

He looked at her with a grin on his face. How could she ever deny him anything?

"I'd be honored to have dinner with you and your parents."

"Good, now if we're finished, we have some fun to have today."

He stood and held out his hand, and she took it and stood next to him. He lead her to the counter, and after he paid for the meal, they walked out into the sunshine.

"Come on Sunshine, lets go ride a cable car."

She smiled at him and they caught the transport to take them to the old section of the city.

For the next five hours they rode cable cars, walked through China Town, and also visited Fisherman's Wharf. They had found a small carnival on the beach, and had fun riding all the rides and laughing. There favorite was the Ferris Wheel, because when they got to the top, they could see out into the bay and could see the city. They had eaten hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy, but Tom had reminded her of the wonderful dinner that his mom planned, so they didn't overdue it. By the time they left, the sun was starting to set, and they just caught the transport to get them to the Paris' by dusk. They sat there and cuddled and talked and laughed as the other passengers seemed to enjoy the two young people in love.

They stepped off the transport at dusk. The street lights were just coming on and it was getting a little chilly. They were only a block from his home, so they walked hand in hand. As they started to walk up to the large estate, Jill stopped and said.

"Wow, you live here?"

"Yeah. I know it looks intimidating, but its been in the family for over two hundred years."

He looked at her face and thought he saw a little fear. He turned to face her and took her into his arms.

"What's wrong?"

She didn't answer at first, but then said softly

"I'm just nervous. Do you think you're parents will approve of me? I mean, you come from such a noble family and I..."

He hugged her and then said

"They will love you...my mom already does! And I know my dad will too. What's not to love? And my sisters, when you meet them, they will love that somebody so beautiful and kind and gentle has tamed their little brother."

He looked down at her and again hugged her.

"Of course you'll have to wait to meet Kathleen and Moira, they're both off world. Kathleen, the oldest, is a doctor and Moira is an archeologist. Now, lets get inside, its starting to get a little chilly out."

He looked at her and smiled, and turning, he wrapped his arm around her and they walked up to the door and dinner.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Tom opened the door, and stepping aside, he guided Jill into the foyer. After closing the door, he called out

"Mom...Dad...we're here."

His father came out of the sitting room, and walked over to them. Smiling, he placed his hand on Tom's shoulder and said

"I see you're just in time for dinner. Just like when you were little."

He turned to Jill and winked as he continued

"He never missed one of his mother's home cooked meal."

From the other room a soft feminine voice scolded

"Now, Owen stop teasing."

Elizabeth Paris walked into the foyer and hugged Tom and then turned to Jill and said

"Don't mind him. He loves to tease Tom, and it just seems to get worse as time goes by."

Now she looked back at her son and saw the look of slight confusion on his face. She knew he was trying to remember his father teasing him, but not able to. Her heart went out to him and she smiled at him to let him know that it wasn't important that he remember,and said

"Well, aren't you going to properly introduce this lovely young woman?"

Tom was brought back to the present as he looked at his mother and grinned

"Mom..Dad..this is Jill Morgan...my dream girl."

Jill began to blush, but Elizabeth took her in her arms and gave her a motherly hug. Then his father did the same. They were so accepting of her, and suddenly she thought of her own parents, and a wave of sadness flowed over her. She missed them so much and now Tom's parents had just seemed to take her into their family. It made her sad and happy at the same time...sad that her parents were no longer here to hug her, and happy that these two people had hugged her. She began to cry, and Elizabeth looked at her concerned as she said

"What is it dear?"

Jill looked at them all and wiped the tears away and tried to smile. She saw they all were concerned.

"I...I'm sorry. It's just that I...I lost my parents two years ago and...and just now, when...when you hugged me...I just thought of them."

Tom immediately took her in his arms and pulled her close to him. He kissed the top of her head and she laided her head against his chest for comfort. Just his closeness made her feel better...loved and not only by him but by his parents too. It was a feeling she didn't want to lose. The Admiral laid his hand on her shoulder, and his wife said in a soft voice

"Don't worry dear. You are now a part of this family and we welcome you with open arms. Anyone who can make our son happy makes us happy."

Jill buried her head deeper into Tom's chest, held on to him harder, as if she didn't want to let him go. It took her a minute to finally turn to his parents and say

"Thank you...I love him so much and want nothing more than to make him happy."

She shyly smiled at them as she felt Tom squeeze her. Now Elizabeth said as she also wiped some tears from her eyes

"Well, dinner should be ready soon. In the mean time we can sit and get acquainted better."

The wonderful fragrance of baked bread was in the air, and the aroma of the Chicken Alfredo's creamy sauce seemed to all of a sudden permeate the house. Suddenly, the sound of Tom's grumbling stomach could be heard, and to his embarrassment, they all laughed. His father took up the teasing again as he said

"Make sure you get my wife's recipes and you'll always have a happy man."

He again winked at her and she grinned and picked it up

"I only hope my cooking will be up to his standards."

"Hey...quite discussing my stomach and my appreciation for good food!"

Tom said with fringed indignation.

"I can't help it if I want some good food. After seven years of leota root everything, you'd want something palatable too!"

He smiled at them and as his parents took their seats in the two arm chairs, he guided Jill to the couch and they sat with hardly any space between them. He took his arm and put it around her shoulder and pulled her to him. Without thinking, she laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. His parents watched them with smiles on their faces. They seemed to fit together so naturally. They were sure at that point, that these two young people would have a long and satisfying life together. They talked for a while, and Jill began to really relax in the presence of his parents. She told them about her background, and that she had a job offer to write technical articles for starfleet and that she had an appointment to meet with a gentleman tomorrow for an interview. Tom was encouraging her to do it, when his father spoke

"Speaking of jobs, have you considered what you plan to do now that you're home Tom?"

Tom looked at his dad and shook his head as he said

"Not really, dad. I haven't even thought about it."

His father nodded, but the smile and look on his face told Tom he had something to say.

"I was talking to Admiral Jenkins today and he mentioned that starfleet Design and Propulsion are very impressed with your Delta Flyer. In fact, he mentioned that they have just opened a large lab at headquarters and are looking for someone to head up the department and design a new shuttle craft. He also said they needed a top rate pilot to test the new design's out...said it would also be for new starship design."

He looked at Tom and saw the eager look on his face. He knew that Starfleet wanted his son for the job, and now he knew that Tom was interested, so he continued

"Of course, it would also mean a promotion to Lt Commander, and a chance to pick their own team. And, with the lab here, the only off planet work would be the test flights. It will be a great opportunity, designing shuttles, and starships, and then be able to test fly them."

He again watched his son's face and then said

"Do you know of anyone I could recommend for the job?"

Tom's mouth opened and then closed, as a look of confusion crossed his face. He looked at his mother and saw the smile on her face and then to his father who also was smiling. Looking at Jill, he suddenly realized that his father was teasing again, and he let out the breath he had been holding. It would be the perfect job...something he realized he wanted very much. After a moment he looked his father straight in the eye and said eagerly

"Yes, you can recommend me. I want it."

His father's smile widened as he said

"I already did. The job is yours. You can come to headquarters tomorrow with me and we'll meet with Admiral Jenkins."

Tom got the silliest grin on his face they couldn't help but laugh. He looked so like a little boy who had just gotten everything he wanted for his birthday. But to Owen, the look was just like the one he had seen on his five year old son face, after breaking the flight sim record for first year cadets. He had been so proud of his son's accomplishment and knew that he was destine to be special. At this moment, tears threatened to fall and he kicked himself for the grief he had caused his son. Now he was determined to make it all up to him,his only son. His wife cleared her throat and said

"I think it's time for dinner."

She rose and they all followed as she went to the dinning room.

"Owen, can you open the wine while I bring dinner in?"

He nodded and began to open the wine and Tom held the chair for Jill as she sat down. He took the seat next to her and watched as his mother brought in the steaming Chicken Alfredo. The aroma was so...home. He couldn't remember his childhood, but for some reason, it just made him think of home. His mother returned with a large basket which held the warm baked bread, and again Tom's stomach made its presence known. With a little shrug, he took a sip of the wine his father had poured for him.

They had a wonderful dinner, talking and planning. When Elizabeth stood to start to clear the table, Jill got up to help. They were talking like mother and daughter, and the two men smiled and got up to try to help, but Elizabeth just shooed them away, so they went back to the sitting room to wait for them to join them.

"Have you thought of who you'd like to join you in Design, Tom?"

His father asked as he retook his favorite chair. Tom nodded and said

"I'd like to see if I could get my friend Harry Kim. He's a wiz at propulsion and for engineering aspects, there's no one better at engines than B'Elanna Torres. I just hope they will want to do this.

"I'm sure they will be interested. Voyagers crew is still on leave. As far as I know, nothing has been offered yet. Why don't you get in touch with them tomorrow and see what they have to say? Also there will be promotions for them too."

Tom grinned and nodded and then looked up as his mom and Jill came in with a tray of coffee and some cheese and fruit for dessert. He rose and took the tray and placed it on the coffee table. They spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing. Tom had the pleasure of being embarrassed as his parents related some of his childhood antics. All in all though, he enjoyed hearing the tales of his childhood, and was amazed at some of the things he had pulled. Jill, of course, loved every story and just looked at him with a grin as she listened to all the stories. She just thanked whatever deity had brought them together. Soon though, they heard the old grandfather clock in the hall strike 2200, and Tom stood and said

"I need to get you home. You need your beauty sleep so you'll be ready for that interview tomorrow. Come on Sunshine."

Mrs Paris stood and said

"You didn't bring a wrap and it gets really damp and chilly at night. Tom go get her one of you old sweaters."

He went upstairs and returned a moment later carrying one of his old sweaters. He helped her on with it, and as she turned around, he grinned at her. The sleeves were too long, and you couldn't see her hands. The hem came down below her knees. He laughed and said

"You look so adorable!"

With a smile on her face, she pushed up the sleeves so her hands showed and then pulled the sweater snugly around her. He continued to laugh and only stopped when his mother poked him in the ribs.

"Ow what was that for?"

He looked down at his mom with a look of amusement on his face. But his mother just said to Jill

"I'm so glad you came tonight. Don't let my son's sense of humor rattle you, you look fine."

"Thank you Mrs Paris. I really enjoyed myself, and that was a wonderful dinner."

They walked to the door, and, as Tom opened it for them to leave, the Admiral said

"The pleasure was ours. We enjoyed your company tonight."

He leaned down and whispered in her ear

"Just get together with my wife, she'll give you all of Tom's favorite recipes." He again winked at her and she smiled and said

"I will...Thanks."

He leaned in and gave her light kiss on her cheek, and she raised her hand to gently touch the place on her face. These were good people, and she knew she was again a part of a loving family. It again made her so happy, that tears showed in her eyes.

They left and went down the stairs, and turning,she waved at her new family. Since it was too late for any of the transits to be running, they went to the transport station on the corner. Once they were there, they stepped on the transported pad, and Tom entered the coordinates and they transported to her district and home.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Tom walked into the kitchen to find his mother leaning over the stove, cooking. He smiled and said

"You still don't like the replicators, do you mom?"

He leaned in and gave her a kiss on her cheek. She was still in her robe and slippers, and she held a cooking utensil in her hand.

"I enjoy cooking, and using a replicator is not cooking. Besides, fresh food is always better. You've always enjoyed my cooking, Tom."

He smiled as he saw what she was cooking for breakfast. Eggs, hash brown potatoes,and her own recipe for homemade turkey sausages.

"You know, son, you always said you liked my home cooking better than replicator food."

He smiled and said

"Don't remember, but I'll take your word for it."

He sat down at the table, and poured himself a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. His father came into the kitchen and hugged his wife before he turned to Tom and said

"Good morning son. Did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby, dad."

"Oh really? So how come I heard you rustling around this morning at 0530?"

He looked at his son with a smile on his face. Tom just shrugged and said sheepishly

"I usually don't need more that six hours sleep, and I had a few things to do this morning before we go to Headquarters."

His father looked at him expectantly and Tom just smiled.

"I contacted both Harry and B'Elanna this morning to tell them about my new job. They are quite interested in joining me. We plan to meet next week over lunch and discuss it, but I think they will both come onboard. Especially B'Elanna...she can't wait to get her hands on some new engine designs."

He chuckled as he remembered the look on her face as he told them about the new job. She was almost salivating. His mother brought the plates of food to the table, and she joined her two men for the morning meal. His father had already poured the coffee. Tom reached for a pastry from the basket in the middle of the table, and after taking one bite, his face showed a very contented look as he chewed.

"Ummmm, Mom, that's great. You don't know how much I missed food that taste like...food."

His mother smiled. He had told her of the cook, Neelix and how he added so much spice to everything he cooked. She was glad that she could give her son the food she knew he loved. For a few minutes, they ate in silence. Then, Admiral Paris said

"Son, I'm sure you didn't wake Harry or B'Elanna at 0530 this morning. What else were you up to so early?"

Tom took a sip of his coffee before he answered.

"Well, I was looking at property in Montana. I found two parcels of land that fits my dream. I have made arrangements to look at them both this afternoon with the realtor, who has the listing on both. If one turns out to be the correct property, I'm buying it."

Both his parents looked at him. They didn't want to discourage him, but they also didn't want him to move out. He had just gotten home. Tom seemed to realize what they were thinking, so he continued.

"Of course, it would probably be a year till the house would be finished and all the other construction and such...I'd like to also have a guest house built...you know for guests to stay...or parents?"

He looked at the relived look on his parents faces.

"I want to take Jill with me today so she can see the property too. She said that her interview was this morning. Dad, how long do you think the meeting will last this morning?"

Owen looked at his son and said

"Well, if I know Matt Jenkins, it shouldn't last too long, probably only an hour or so."

Tom nodded and said

"Good, My appointment with the realtor is set for 1500. I plan to have lunch with Jill, and then head out...Dad do you think I could borrow a shuttle?"

He added hopefully. His Dad smiled and said

"I think that could be arranged."

His mom said, as she started to clear the breakfast dishes

"Will you be home for dinner? Will you bring Jill?"

Tom smiled as he got up to go upstairs to get dressed

"Not tonight, mom. Jill has invited me to her place...she's going to cook me dinner."

He was smiling and his mom could see again the complete love on her son's face. Again, she was so glad that he had found a perfect future mate. His father now spoke up

"Better get going and get ready, we're due to meet with Matt in forty-five minutes."

Tom grinned and turned and went up stairs to get ready for this mornings meeting with his new boss.

Admiral Jenkins was glad that Owens son had accepted the position as department head to the new propulsion and design division. They could not have gotten a better person for the job. He had gone over the position, and Tom had suggested things that he hadn't though of in design. Owen was right, this boy had tons of talent, and he had no doubt that the new generation of starships would be something special. The newly promoted Lt. Commander Thomas Eugene Paris was going to make a name for himself, of this he had no doubt. He chuckled as he remembered the look of pure joy on Tom's face when they had given him the complete use of the original Delta Flyer. After all, he had designed and help build it. He deserved it. After he had left, with several padds of information on the division and job facts, he and Owen had spent time talking about the boy and he saw the great pride that the father had in his son's ability. They had taken lunch in and spent a couple of hours talking of family and such, till Owen had decided he needed to get some work done today. Now, Matt sat in his chair and looked at the picture of his wife and daughter. He was so glad he had such a wonderful family, and now, Owen had his family back. He was glad for his old friend.

Tom gently landed the Flyer on the docking pad in front of the realtor's office. Jill had been enthralled with his flying, and was so into looking at the scenery as they had flown to Montana that she had hardly said anything. Now she turned to Tom, and breathed

"Tom, you are such a great pilot...no wonder Captain Janeway made you the chief Conn officer. I've never had such a flawless landing as you just did."

She was smiling at him with a look of adoration on her face. It was plain she thought he could do no wrong. He grinned and said

"You better watch out. You'll give me a big head!"

He joked.

"But, I must admit, you're praise of my abilities sounds good."

He took her in his arms and gave her a soft kiss. When they broke apart, she reached up and fingered his new pips. She smiled at him and said

"I think I like seeing you as a Lt. Commander. And I think you will make a great commander."

He laughed and said

"Well, I'm not sure about that, but I hope to do well in this job."

She knew he was excited about his new job and she also knew he would be super at it. To her, he could do anything and do it great. He hugged her and replied

"Speaking of jobs, congratulations on your new job."

She smiled. She had been hired too, and the best part, was she could work from home. She would be writing technical articles and manuals for Starfleet. They had told her she didn't need to work at headquarters, but would only need to come in on Monday mornings for a half day for meetings. It was a perfect job. It seemed that they had both lucked out.

"Well, lets go meet Mr. Peters, and see if we can find our dream land today."

They exited the shuttle, and went into the office of one Mr. Peters. After speaking to the receptionist, they were led into his office, where he greeted them warmly.

"Commander Paris, It's good to meet you in person."

Mr Peters was a middle aged man of average height. He had salt and pepper hair and warm brown eyes. He reached out and shook Tom's hand.

"And who is this young lady?"

"This is my fiancee, Jill Morgan."

Tom smiled as he introduced Jill. Mr Peters smiled and warmly shook her hand and said

"So good to meet you Ms. Morgan. I hope you will like these two properties I will be showing you. The Commander told me what you're looking for, and he thinks one of these two properties will be what you want."

He started towards the door, and said

"I have a shuttle and pilot ready. Shall we go?"

They followed him out and boarded the shuttle which bore the name of the realtor. After they were settled, he gave the okay to launch and the shuttle lifted off and went towards the first property they would see today. After a ride of fifteen minutes,and easy conversation, they began to descent. Once landed, Mr. Peters got up and said

"Here's the first property. It twenty acres and about thirty miles from town. There is access to town with a road, and it is completely fenced. The asking price is four hundred thirty thousand credits, but its a bargain for the amount of land. Lets go look around."

They exited the shuttle, and as soon as Tom and Jill saw the land, they knew it was not the right place. There was really no meadow and it was mostly wooded. Mr. Peters said that they could clear part of the trees to create a nice building lot. They spent about ten minutes looking, but then both Tom and Jill looked at each other and then Tom turned to the realtor and said

"It's nice, but not what we were looking for. We'd like to see the other property please."

"Of course."

They headed back to the shuttle, and after they were settled, Mr. Peters said

"The other property is about fifty miles west of here. It is a plot of ten acres and I do believe it has a stream running through it. It's also fenced, and a little better road to town which is about fifty miles away. This one is listed for two hundred twenty five thousand credits."

They rose and flew to the second property. As they descended, both Tom and Jill looked out the window and took a deep breath. Below they could see a meadow with wildflowers throughout. They looked at each other and smiled. This was it! Once the shuttle landed, they both got to their feet before Mr. Peters even moved, they were so anxious to see the property. When they finally got out and went to the front of the shuttle, they both let out a sigh of contentment. This was their meadow. The wildflowers were abundant. They heard the sound of the stream that ran through the property, and looking behind them, they saw the grove of trees, and the pathway through it. To the west, was the mountain range, and they saw the area that the house would be built. They began to walk towards that spot, as Mr. Peters hung back. He had a strong feeling that he had sold this property. He wasn't sure how though, but he could see they were in love with it. He watched them as they stood there looking out over the meadow, and then suddenly, the Commander lifted his woman up and twirled her around as they laughed. It was now apparent that he had sold this place. He smiled to himself as he watched the two young people as they turned and walked back to him. And he knew at that point that he was glad they were getting this land. They deserved it. When they got back, Tom said

"Let's get back and do the paper work. We want this piece of land, and the price is right."

He had a large smile on his face, only matched by the young woman's smile.

"Great...Great lets get back to my office and get the paperwork done."

He was happy to have sold this land. It had been on the market for a while, and had not gotten much interest. Maybe it had been meant for this couple all along. They reentered the shuttle, and were soon on there way back to the office. The Commander and his fiancee seemed so happy to have gotten the land, and talked about what they had planned. They were going to build a residence there, and the Commander hoped that his job would allow him to work from home part of the week. He learned they wanted to build their home before they got married, and he was able to recommend a couple of builders in the area for them. They landed back at the office, and they all went back to finish business. It only took an hour to finish, and then both Tom and Jill thanked Mr. Peters for all his help. They left with a feeling of peace and happiness. As Tom did his pre flight, Jill said.

"Oh Tom, I can't believe we found our place. It's just like in our dream."

She had a faraway look on her face. Tom turned towards her and said

"I know, it is our place. The price was so right. With the seven years of back pay I have, it didn't even put a dent in my credits. We have plenty for building a wonderful home. And with our jobs, we will not be hurting..."

He was done with his pre flight, and gently took the Flyer up and maneuvered towards home. Jill smiled and said

"You are a much better pilot than the man flying today."

He chuckled and said

"Well, I want you to have the best trip."

He put the Flyer on auto pilot, and then came over to Jill and knelt in front of her.

"For you, I'll always make sure it's a smooth ride."

He leaned over to kiss her, and then they hugged.

It took them thirty-five minutes to get back to San Francisco, and they landed at his parents home as they had a landing pad that accommodated several shuttles. They disembarked and saw his parents sitting on the back patio. They went and joined them and his father offered them both a drink. The sun was beginning to go down, and Tom estimated that it was around 1730.

"Well, how was the trip?"

His father asked as he handed him a drink.

"We found it, Dad, Mom...our place."

Both Tom and Jill looked so happy. Mrs Paris said with a smile on her face

"I'm so glad everything turned out. Did you get any pictures?"

Jill pulled out the pictures that they had took and showed her future in laws the images of the property.

"It's lovely."

Tom had described the meadow, but now seeing it she could see why he wanted the piece of land.

They continued to talk about the events of the day. Soon the sun was just at the horizon as it began to slip below the sea. His mom stood and said

"I know you planned to fix dinner for Tom tonight, but if you haven't planned anything yet, we would love if you'd stay. I've fixed a nice salad, and have baked rolls to go with it...and"

She looked at Tom with a smile and continued

"A fresh apple pie. We would really love you to stay."

Jill was tired, and one look at Tom's face at the mention of apple pie, she said

"Of course we will."

She looked over at him and said

"I couldn't deprive Tom of your apple pie!"

They all laughed and then went inside to have a wonderful meal together. It had been a great day.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The lab was certainly larger than he expected it to be. The main room had a conference table in the far center of the room, and he noticed that it was big enough for ten people to sit around with plenty of room for plans and specs. To the left and at the back of the room, were two large offices, and on the other wall were several computer stations where people could work on everything from design to fixing problems with propulsion. He also saw the door to the holodeck where they would be able to test out everything they designed. Looking to the right of the holodeck, he saw the large breakroom, and he could see the tables and chairs and a counter that ran the length of the room. Looking around his domain, he smiled and walked over to the two offices. The larger one had his name on the door, and he walked into the room. There was a good sized desk,which included a computer terminal, and the most conformable looking chair. He walked around and sat, and let out a soft sigh. It was one of the cushiest chairs he had sat on in a long time. He looked around the office and noticed the large filing cabinet and bookcase, and leaned back in the chair and put his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes, and thought for the hundredth time that he had the perfect job. He was truly going to enjoy designing new ships. He was brought out of his daydreaming by a familiar voice

"Looks like you're getting into the job, flyboy."

He looked up and smiled at the lovely lady who was leaning up against the doorjamb. He sat forward and said

"Snappy isn't it?"

B'Elanna walked into the office and sat on the edge of the desk. She was happy to get into this department and had to admit, she was certainly looking forward to be working with both Harry and Tom. To be designing new ships, and engines was something she could sink her teeth in. And having two of her favorite people from Voyager to boot was going to make her days a pleasure. Tom stood up and came around to the front of the desk and hugged B'Elanna. She reciprocated and then grinned at Tom.

"And how is the Lt. Commander this morning? Ready to make some difference in ship design?"

"Not sure how difference we'll make, but I'm ready to dig into the design of new ships."

She could see he was getting excited, and it made her happy to see him so into the project. They had become really close, and now she thought of Tom as an older brother whom she loved very much. She knew he thought of her as a little sister now, even though they had dated back in the Voyager days before his loss of memory. Now, even after over four years, he had not regained his memories, but he was a more open person now. No longer did he hide behind his defensive masks that he had done. Thinking back, she decided that she liked this Tom more. This was the real Tom Paris. She also knew that his fiancee Jill had a lot to do with it too. Before, when he had just had his dream, somehow she had grounded him. Now, he was so happy to have really found her. He just radiated confidence and...peace. Yes, Jill had done a lot to settle this man down.

Now they walked back into the main room, and Tom said

"Over there is the holodeck,so we can test all our designs, and over there is the conference and computer stations to design and hash out any problems."

He pointed towards the other end of the lab. He was certainty excited and she could tell that he was looking forward to the job. As they went towards the conference table, Tom pointed to the new pips on her collar and grinned

"How does it feel to have a promotion? I know I was surprised to get one."

She looked back at him and said

"I've got to admit, it feels good. I think Harry was floored by his."

She giggled as she remember the look on Harry's face when they pinned the extra pip on his collar. The three of them had a long running joke about how he'd be the oldest living ensign in starfleet. Now he was a Lt. And he was proud of it. So were both Tom and B'Elanna. As they laughed, Harry and a couple of young ensigns came into the room, Harry busy telling them some sort of story about their days on Voyager.

"So, we were right on top of the Borg cube, and Tom did some fancy flying to get us out of there. Luckily, the nebula masked our signature, but we came within ten meters of that cube."

The look on the faces of the two ensigns was one of fear and awe. Inwardly, Tom groaned and he saw B'Elanna just grin. He really didn't want to deal with any hero worship. He stood up, and said

"Harry, Harry, Harry...What kind of tales are you spinning?"

Harry looked at his new boss and smiled

"Not tales, just some stories of our checked pass."

The two ensigns came to attention, and Tom again groaned inwardly. He wasn't one to stand that fully on protocol. Now looking at the two young ensigns, he said

"At ease. You'll find that we are not going to be this formal here."

He looked them over as they relaxed. The man he knew was Ensign John Baker, and was a wiz in propulsion and engines. He would be under the wing of B'Elanna and the other was Ensign Pamela Warring, who was gifted in design. They were the best of the graduated Cadets, and Tom felt he was lucky to have them on the team. He stood in front of them and said

"As I'm sure you already know, my name is Lt Commander Paris, and this is Lt Commander Torres, who is the best engineer around. She will be in charge of engines, and this is Lt Kim, who is in charge of the propulsion side of the engines. You will find, that even though we are here to design new ships, no idea is wrong. We will spend time around this table, and I expect that we will all be throwing out ideas, so no matter if you think its far fetched, I expect all ideas to be brought to the table. Okay?"

The two ensigns nodded and Tom said

"Good, lets get started."

They all moved to the conference table, and Tom moved to the replicator and said

"Coffee okay with you all?"

They all nodded, and he replicated coffee and cups, and brought them to the table. After they all got their coffee, Tom rubbed his hands together and said.

"Okay, lets get started..."

They had spent the most part of the day planning. They had clicked almost immediately,and Tom was happy. They had broke for lunch at 1230 and had spent the last half of the day, writing up some amazing ideas. Now it was 1630, and Tom was getting ready to leave. Technically, they would be there till 1700, but he had an appointment with his family architect, and he was anxious to see what he had come up with. Both he and Jill had put their heads together and decided what they wanted. Since they had both seen the house in their dream, they knew what they wanted. Now he was anxious to see the plans. He was sorry that Jill wouldn't be able to join him, but he planned to go over to her place for dinner, so he would tell her everything. He had been in his office, and now he came out and announced

"Hey guys, lets call it a day. I have an appointment to go to, and you all have worked hard today. I think we came up with some great ideas today. See you all tomorrow."

They stood up and he noticed that they stretched. He grinned as he had done the same. It showed that they all had been engrossed in their work. They picked up their padds, and walked to the door. Harry hung back and walked over to Tom. He could see that Tom was pleased with the team and that he was more than satisfied with the ideas they had come up with today. He laid his hand on Tom's shoulder and said

"Well, I think we did a pretty good job today. What does the boss say?"

Tom smiled and said

"Harry, those two ensigns are a marvel. They both came up with some great ideas. Too bad we didn't have them on Voyager. We might of gotten home sooner."

"Yeah, I know."

They walked to the door, and as they exited, Tom keyed in the lock. Turning, they saw B'Elanna waiting for them.

"Hey, flyboy, you and Jill have any plans tonight? Harry and I want to invite you for dinner."

Tom smiled at them, but said

"Love to, but Jill's cooking dinner for me. I've got an appointment with the family architect to look at the plans for our home. Maybe we can get together later this week?"

"Sure Tom. So, your getting that dream house built?"

The look on Tom's face turned dreamy as he said

"Yeah, we both know exactly what we wanted. Hopefully, we can begin the construction in a couple of weeks. We'd like to get it finished before winter."

Both Harry and B'Elanna knew they were waiting for the house to be completed before they set the date for their wedding. They had reached the outside door, and as they stood there, Harry said

"How about we get together this Wednesday?"

Tom nodded and said

"I'll let Jill know tonight."

He started off towards the street and turned to wave and called

"See you tomorrow."

They watched him as he walked, a little skip in his step.

Tom was settling back in his chair. Dinner had been wonderful. Jill had made the most flavorful beef stew he could remember eating. He had had two bowls of the stew, and then she had brought out the creamiest cheese cake he'd had the pleasure of eating. He sighed and said

"You keep feeding me like this and I'll have to step up my exercise routine."

Jill laughed and said

"Well, I already know you run and swim. What else will you add to that?"

She teased him. He shrugged and continued

"I'll just have to do it five times a week instead of the three times I do now."

He pulled her down onto his lap, and nuzzled her neck. She smelled so good. She leaned against his shoulder, and they just sat that way for a moment. Finally Tom said

"I got the plans for the house to show you."

She stood and started to clear the remaining dishes off the table while he went to get the plans. When he came back to the table, Jill had cleaned it and he took the plans and spread them out. He sat back down, and she came over, and he pulled her down again to sit on his lap. They poured over the plans, and they both decided that no corrections needed to be made. It was all perfect. Tom rolled the plans back up and said

"So, are we agreed? Everything looks fine? No changes?"

"Yes,Tom, it's perfect...just like in the dream...I love it."

She leaned down and kissed him, and he hugged her tighter.

"Okay, I call Mr. Foster tomorrow and tell him to transmit the plans to the builder. I think this weekend, we should go up and look at the land. I got word today that the well is in, and also the power grid. Let's take the Flyer and a picnic lunch up to our home and spend the afternoon there, what do you say?"

She smiled and said

"That would be great...I'll pack us a lunch that will be perfect."

"Just include some of that wonderful cheese cake."

Tom said with a mischievousness grin. They both laughed and hugged again. As far as Tom was concerned, this had been a great day.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Flyer made a lazy circuit of the meadow, as it's occupants looked out the front port. They could see the well, and also the power grid that was closer to the building site. The foundation was already poured, and they could see the beginnings of the home. Since it was Sunday, no work was being done, so they had the meadow to themselves. Tom guided the Flyer down and landed it gently not fifty feet from the building site. Once the engines were cut, the back hatch opened and two people stepped off. Both Tom and Jill walked around to the front and stood for a moment and just looked around.

The day was perfect, and the temperature was in the mid seventies. There was a slight breeze and the birds were abundant. They walked over and set the picnic basket under one of the Navajo Globe Willow trees that Tom had had transplanted to what would be the front yard. It was a mature tree, so it provided plenty of shade, and they could hear the rustle of the leaves in the breeze. For a moment, the couple looked off to the west to the mountain range and just gazed at the view. It was a lovely and rugged view, and they both loved it. Tom had his arm around Jill's waist, and she had her's around his waist. They then turned and walked over towards the foundation.

"Soon the walls will be up, and the roof. Before you know it, we'll have our home finished."

Tom said as he pulled her closer in an embrace. She had laid her head on his shoulder and said

"I can hardly wait, Tom, It will be so peaceful out here. I'll miss not being able to see your parents everyday, but the peace and quite will be a god-send."

Tom nodded but then said

"That's why we're going to have our own transporter station. That way my parents, or our friends can come visit anytime. You'll be able to go visit them, and you'll be able to join me for lunch too."

He was showing her where the station was going to be built.

"It helps to have connections at Headquarters."

He smiled and continued

"Dad said that it was necessary for it to be built so if there was an emergency at the lab, I could get there quick. Being third in line of power in the Federation has its advantages and dad will sometimes take advantage of that, but I think Admiral Jenkins had a hand it it too."

"I think your father is trying to make up for your past. I can see the pain in his eyes sometimes when you two are talking about the past. He really loves you Tom."

Tom sighed and said

"I know..and I really love him too...I still don't remember the past, except for what I've read, but I'm now building a solid future with my dad. It feels good."

He finished, and Jill saw the tears in his eyes. She gently took his face in her hands, and lowered his face to give him a soft kiss. He kissed her back, and they stood there enjoying the contact. Soon they went back to the tree, and Jill spread the blanket out and they sat down next to each other. It was still a little early for lunch, so they sat there in each others arms and talked of the future. Tom told her of the plans he had to have a combination barn/garage built, so he could tinker on his antique cars, and so they could have some horses. He talked about them having chickens and maybe a cow or two. Jill told him that she wanted a large garden to grow vegetables and they decided that they would like to have some fruit trees. They both wanted to try and live off the land as much as possible. They talked about the type of furniture they wanted and realized their taste was quite similar, wood with thick cushions and pillows in bright colors. Soon they decided it was time for lunch, so Jill dished up a wonderful lunch of sandwiches, salad, and chips. She had brought a gallon of lemonade and they sat and ate and just enjoyed themselves. And she had remembered to bring him a piece of her cheese cake.

After they ate, Jill packed everything up and Tom took the basket to the Flyer and returned with a large throw pillow, and they settled down on the blanket arm in arm, watching the clouds in the sky.

"That one looks like an elephant...see the trunk?"

Tom said as he pointed to the cloud. She looked and then said

"Yes...I can see it. But now the trunk is twisting...see?"

"Um hum...that one there looks like a duck in flight...see?"

She turned her head and looked and then smiled

"Leave it to a pilot to see something in flight!"

He just grinned and said

"I call em like I see em."

"Well, what about that one? What do you see in that cloud?"

She pointed to a large fluffy one almost overhead and as he looked at it for a moment, and saw the change of the cloud, it began to take on a shape. He watched as it changed and then he said

"Why that looks like Voyager at least the front part does...see there are the nacelles and that looks like its just about to go into warp."

She looked, but couldn't see all he did. But she knew he did so she just agreed. They continued to watch the clouds, and enjoy themselves. After a few minutes, Tom said

"You know, this is just like the dream...The first time I had it, we were laying on the grass and watching the clouds, and I remember being so happy and content just like now."

He sighed and turned and gave her a tender kiss. He knew that this was a part of the dream that had always been in the forefront of his mind, and he always felt that he was where he belonged. Now he was with the woman of his dreams and she was just as happy as he was. They has adjusted their positions and she had now laid her head on his chest and was looking into his eyes. He saw the love and contentment on her face and in her eyes. He knew he was in paradise. He tightened his embrace and settled down to watch the clouds. The breeze was soft, and the sound of the leaves and birds lulled them both to sleep.

Tom came out onto the porch, and sat in his favorite chair. He was working on a design for a new class of shuttle, and had brought the specs home to work on. Part of the perks to being the boss was the chance to work from home. Besides, he knew that both Harry and B'Elanna would hold down the fort. The department, which had started out with just five people, now was up to twenty. They were a good team, and worked well together. He had no worries that they wouldn't take care of business even if he wasn't there. He was busy working on some codes, when Micheal, Katie,and Owen came rushing out of the house.

"Dad, we promised Grandma and Grandpa we'd meet them at the transporter. It's almost time for them to come, we finished our chores, can we go now?"

Micheal the oldest said. He was eleven, and he was the unofficial spokesman of the Paris children. Katie, who was nine, gave her father a hug, and Owen who was six, stood next to his brother. Tom looked at his kids and said

"You finished everything? Katie, did you gather the eggs and put them in the refrigerator?"

"Yes daddy and I didn't break any at all."

She said proudly and Tom smiled and gave her a kiss on her cheek. He turned to his boys and said

"Mike, Owen how bout you, did you clean the coop?"

"Yes, dad we did, and Mike made sure that the horses and cows were fed too."

Tom put the padd down and smiled at his children and said

"Okay, go meet your grandparents, and we will be having other company, so behave yourselves."

They all bounded off the porch and headed to the transporter station by the grove of trees, Tom watched them go and wondered for the millionth time how he was so lucky to have these kids. His oldest had his mother's hair coloring, and his blue eyes, Katie was the spitting image of her mother even to the cute perky nose that wrinkled when she laughed. And Owen was just like his father, Blond curls that seemed to fall in his eyes, that were the brightest blue color. His mom always said that Owen reminded her of Tom at that age.

Jill came out and sat next to Tom and watched her brood going towards the transport.

"They're excited about their grandparents coming for the weekend. They have been running around like wild Indians!"

"They love it when my parents visit. Today, they also have a visit from aunty Kathryn and uncle Chakotay. I think they are going to wear us all out before the weekend is over."

They watched as the first pair of visitors materialize, and then the second pair. There was lots of hugs and laughter as they all started towards the house. Tom and Jill got up and started towards the visitors, and their kids. It was going to be an interesting few days.

Tom woke up to the sound of the breeze picking up. Jill was also stirring, and Tom looked over to the west to see storm clouds forming. It looked like rain, so they got up and gathered the blanket and pillow and went to the Flyer. It was getting closer, and Tom wanted to take off before the brunt of the storm hit. He did his pre flight checks and then lifted off and headed back towards San Francisco. Jill was sitting in the co pilots seat with a thoughtful frown on her face. Tom noticed and said

"Penny for your thoughts?"

She looked at him and said

"I had the strangest dream..."

She trailed off and seem to be trying to remember everything, and Tom said

"Me too...It was about our kids..."

"Yes, We had three kids...two boys and a girl..."

"Named Micheal, Katie, and Owen..."

They both looked at each other, and then Jill said

"We were having the same dream again...Tom, do you think we are dreaming of our future?"

She seemed a little unnerved and Tom, who had put the Flyer on auto pilot, leaned over and took her hand in his.

"I don't know for sure, love. It could be. I know while I was in the DQ, I did dream we had three kids, two boys and a girl, but I didn't know their names."

"Well, Tom I have always wanted a family. Being an only child was lonely, and having three would be nice. Do you want three?"

She asked, looking at him. He smiled and said

"Three would be perfect."

They were about ten minutes out and Tom took the Flyer off auto and began his decent. Soon, they had landed on the Paris estate, and when he had shut down the engines, they exited the shuttle. They turned to watch the sun set below the pacific ocean, and when it had slipped below, they turned to walk up to the house. Tom slipped his arm around her shoulder and said

"Come on, I know Mom has dinner ready, and then we can tell them about their future grandchildren."

They walked into the back door as the stars began to twinkle in the night sky.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Tom was bent over the table sander as he finished the last of the kitchen cabinets that he was working on. It was late October, and it was a little nippy outside, so he was working indoors. He knew that before long the weather was going to change. The house was finished with the exception of the kitchen cabinets, and he had decided he wanted to do them himself. He had always enjoyed working with his hands, and his uncle had taught him woodworking when he was a child. Now, as he finished the sanding on the cabinet door, he turned off the sander and took the last door to the overhead cabinet and began attaching it. Once done, he stepped back and looked at his work. He smiled and decided that he had done a good job. He knew that Jill would be pleased. He had been spending the last two months of weekends up at their home working on the inside. He had done all the woodwork inside, and he had not let her come up, so he could surprise her. Oh she knew he was doing the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, but what she didn't know was he was also building the furniture. He had already made their bed, and the ones in the other bedrooms, He'd also fashioned an old fashion dresser for their bedroom that he was really proud of. He still needed to build the other end table, but the master bedroom was almost complete. And he had also wanted to build a loveseat, so they could sit and cuddle in front of the giant fireplace in their room. He had even got Harry up a couple weekends to help. He wasn't good at the making, but had been a great help assembling furniture and hanging cabinets.

Now, Tom looked at the kitchen and was satisfied. He looked at the old fashion clock that hung on the wall and saw it was almost lunch time. Deciding that he was ready for a break, he opened the refrigerator and took his lunch and a bottle of juice out, and went into the dining room and placed his lunch on the table he had built. It was a large one, and he had made it to accommodate ten people. The wooden chairs had brightly colored seat cushions, and there was a table runner of the same fabric. As he began to eat, he thought back to the day that he and Jill had gone shopping for the things they wanted to display around their home. She had wanted bright colors, and most of the items in fabric also had a distinctive tropical theme. He had teased her about it at the time, since Montana was far from a tropical area, but she had just smiled at him and told him about her vacation in Hawaii, and how much she liked the colors. He had given her a light kiss and had said that he didn't mind, as long as he could pick out the paintings that he wanted to hang over the two fireplaces. He had commissioned an artist to paint them both, and he had picked them up last week. They were also a surprise for Jill. The one he had hung over the fireplace in the living room was a perfect copy of their meadow with all the wildflowers. The stream could be seen in the background as it meandered through the landscape. It also showed the grove of trees, and the path through to the house. He'd even asked to have the house in the picture. It was the perfect summer day in the painting and he could almost hear the birds singing. The one he had hung over the fireplace in the master bedroom, was an aerial view of the meadow, but this one was during fall, with all the fall colors. It was from a picture they had snapped that day they had come for the picnic. He thought that it was his favorite, as he loved the fall colors. Growing up in San Francisco, he had only been exposed to the wonderful colors when he had been at his uncle's in Vermont. He had love coming during that time, and his uncle would take him out into the woods, as they gathered the maple sap to make the syrup. Thinking back now, he decided that the want to live off the land must have come from uncle John.

He noticed that he had finished his lunch, and now was just daydreaming. He still wanted to do some more work, before it was time to head back to San Francisco. He stood, and took his empty bottle of juice to the recycler in the kitchen. After, he went back to the table sander, and changed the sander with a saw blade. He still had an end table to complete, and needed to cut two more pieces. Then he would assemble it in the bedroom. The other pieces were already in there, so he got to work cutting. After about twenty minutes, he turned the saw off and, picking up the two pieces, he took them into the master bedroom. Sitting down on the floor, he spent the next hour assembling the end table. Once he was satisfied that it was correct, he left it so the glue would cure. The two drawers were done and waiting to be installed, but that would have to wait till next week. Now, he wandered into the other bedrooms. They originally had thought of having a total of four bedrooms, but then they had added two more for guest rooms. The dream they had shared about family with three children, had never been questioned, and they knew they would need a bedroom for each. He had made beds for all and added the necessary other items. All that was needed were the mattresses and bedding. They had decided to let the kids pick the decor for their rooms. Jill had also decided to add a nursery bumped off their room for when the babies came. He had plenty of time to build the nursery items, so that little room was basically bare. He moved back to the large living room, and sat in the large couch. Looking out the windows, he saw that it had begun to snow. Large flakes were coming down, and beginning to cover the ground. He estimated he'd have an hour before he needed to leave, so he just leaned back and enjoyed the scene. He was glad that the house had been finished before the winter set in. It was very well insulated, and even without the heat on, it was warm enough inside. He could see the day when they had moved in, that the fireplace would warm the house fairly well. He sat there and thought of the good times they would have sitting here on the couch cuddling and watching snow fall, with a roaring fire to keep them warm. It was going to be perfect.

It was after he had daydreamed for a while, that he noticed that it was getting worse outside. The snow was coming down heavier, and it was getting darker. He roused himself, and went into the kitchen to unplug the table saw. He had meant to get it back out to the garage, but now that would have to wait till next week. He also had cleanup to do, as he saw all the sawdust on the floor. That wouldn't due for Jill to see, so that was the second chore he'd have next week. He peeked at the clock and saw it was almost 1630, so he went back out into the living room and retrieved his coat. He was glad he had brought it, because he was sure the temperature had fallen quite a bit since yesterday. He picked up the basket he had brought with him, and opened the front door. The cold air hit his face, and again he was glad for the coat. Shutting the door, he entered the lock code, and then stepped down the steps of the porch. Turning towards the north, he saw the combination barn/garage and was glad that the doors were closed. Now he didn't need to go close them. He turned and looked back at the house and smiled. He was so glad that soon, they would be living out here. Finally, he turned and walked over to where the Flyer was. Once inside, he powered up the systems, and was able to shed the coat, which he hung up in the utility closet. Once he had gone through the pre flight, he lifted off, and couldn't resist doing a flyover of the property. The house stood majestically and he could see that the snow made it look like a painting he had seen as a child of a farmhouse in winter. It was getting to be dusk, so he flew once around the area, and then gained altitude and headed for home. He knew Jill had spent the day with his parents, and he was sure that there would be a wonderful dinner waiting him. His parents had taken Jill into the family and she was now very comfortable at what she teasingly called 'The Paris Mansion'. He had laughed the first time she had use it, because both his parents were present, but they had laughed too and his mom had told her she had thought the same thing when she had first married Owen. He was so glad that they all got along, and he knew that Jill loved them very much. They had treated her like a daughter, as Tom knew how much she missed her parents. He also knew that she had endeared herself to both his mom and dad. Whenever she came over, he could see the love in the eyes of his parents. He knew they missed his sisters, and Jill sort of filled the void of not having his sisters close. Kathleen was off planet right now and had been for a year, and Moira was all the way over in France right now, working on some project that kept her busy. She hadn't been home for more than six months now.

He came back to the moment, as the auto pilot announce that he was ten minutes out, so he took the Flyer back and started his decent. It was dark now, and when he landed, the lights had lit up the landing pad, and the back patio, and he had seen his father and Jill sitting on the patio. He shut down the engines, and opened the back hatch and left the shuttle. He was still pretty dusty and needed a shower, so he walked up the path to the back door. Jill came down the steps to meet him and he hugged her and gave her a kiss.

"Ummm, you smell like a forest. Did you get the cabinets done?"

She saw the sawdust on his clothes and knew he had worked with the cabinets today. He hugged her again and then they walked up to the patio and sat down. His father brought him a drink, and he could hear his mother puttering around in the kitchen. The aroma that came out to him made his stomach growl.

"I got the cabinets done today, but I still need to make sure the stain is good. I think that I'll only need another weekend to finish."

He didn't want to give too much away, but he planned to get the bedding and mattresses done next week. He wanted to have the home ready for her to see in a couple of weeks. Then, they could move in. They had set their wedding for spring, and had at first thought it would take till then to get the house finished, but the builder had finished it and the barn/garage early, so there was no reason to wait to move in. Jill would be able to do her job at home, with only having to go to the office every Monday. He too would be able to work from home and had set up his work week to be Monday and then Tuesday morning. That way he would be home every night and be able to spend most of his week at home. He knew that both Harry and B'Elanna could handle the day to day operation of the lab, while he could concentrate on design. And they planned to get the transporter station in soon, so he could be at the lab within minutes if necessary. It was a perfect arrangement.

After a few minutes, his mom popped her head out the door and said

"Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes, so you have time to freshen up, Tom."

He grinned and said

"I'll try not to track too much dust through the house mom."

He rose, and taking his drink in hand, he went up to the bathroom to shower and shave. Once he was clean and changed, he came back down stairs to find the family around the table. He leaned in and gave his mother a light peck on the cheek, and then gave Jill a soft kiss on her lips before he sat down at the table. He looked tired, but happy. His mother had made a hardy vegetable soup and home made biscuits. It smelled so good, that he inhaled deeply and grinned.

"Smells great mom, and I'm hungry."

She smiled and said

"Dig in everyone while it hot."

They all got bowls of soup, and the hot biscuits and enjoyed their meal. Tom told of the snow storm that had started, and how the landscape had looked as he left. He described the intricate pattern he had carved on the cabinet doors, and Jill said she could hardly wait to see them. They had finished dinner and now were enjoying the hot apple cobbler that his mom had made when Tom said

"You know, I should be finished next weekend, and I was thinking..."

He was looking at Jill as he continued

"I want to take you up to see the cabinets, and you too mom and dad...How about two weeks from now?"

Jill was ready, and his parents nodded too. They were both anxious to see Tom's handiwork. They both knew that Tom had been building the furniture, but he had sworned them to secrecy. He hadn't told her he could do so much with wood and wanted to surprise her. He took another bite of his cobbler, and then continued

"I was also thinking that we could move in earlier than expected. I know we had thought about spring, but when they finished the house at the end of September, I just thought we could move up the move in?"

Jill looked at him and smiled as she said

"I'd love too! And then we could invite your parents and even our friends to our first Thanksgiving dinner. What do you think?"

She looked around the table and saw the smiles. She was so into this old traditional holiday, that she was looking forward to fixing a big turkey and all the trimmings. Now, Mrs Paris said

"We would be honored to come and I could help in the kitchen. Of course, we would miss you both when you move..."

She tailed off and Tom could see that she was not looking forward for them to be that far away, so he piped up and said

"Mom, the first priority is the transporter station, so you and dad can come up anytime, and we can visit you anytime. I spoke to the engineers this week and they said that they could have it done in a week. I'm hoping to have it done by the time we move."

"I know, son...its just that with your sisters so far away..."

Again she stopped, and Owen leaned over and took her hand in his and said

"Don't worry, Liz I'll make sure its done by the time they move."

She smiled at her husband and then said.

"Okay, enough of this, come on Jill, lets get the dishes cleared and get the coffee."

They stood and began clearing the table, as the men went out to the sitting room for an evening of quite conversation.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Tom opened his eyes, and for a moment, he just laid in bed. He was a little groggy and after a moment, he rolled over on his side and stretched and yawned. After a moment, he smiled to himself as he thought of yesterday. It had been moving day...

They had moved in yesterday, and with the help of a few friends they had been done by 1600. Not that they had that much to move, but they had used the Flyer to move, and it had taken only one trip. First, they had packed up all of Jill's things, and then they had broke for a quick lunch, then flying to Tom's, they had loaded his stuff and then flew to their new home. The weather was good, and not too cold. They had joked as they emptied the items from the Flyer into the home. Most of the things were boxes of old fashion books, and their clothes. Both Tom and Jill enjoyed reading, and they loved the old fashion hardback books. Tom had built shelves in the library/office, and between the two of them, they had plenty of books to fill the shelves. Both Harry and B'Elanna had been on hand to help, and between the four of them, they had unpacked all the books in record time. They had admired the view of all the books on the shelves, and Harry had made a remark about all the books they had collected. Jill had just laughed, but Tom made a face of mock indignation and had said

"Harry, Harry... don't you know that good literature has to be read in this form...no padds!"

Harry had just rolled his eyes and grunted. B'Elanna only laughed at the look on Tom's face.

Most of the home's items had been moved in weeks ago by Tom as he had worked on the furniture. He had enjoyed being able to arrange things, and he had noticed that Jill had only moved a few items. Nothing big though, so he knew she had been happy with the arrangement of the furniture. She had though move things like the accessories that they had picked out. Oh well, he decided that was really the woman's prerogative to set up the nick-knacks. He had to admit, that the changes she had made were better, and the home already looked more comfortable and lived in. Once they were finished with the books, they had all gone out to the living room, and Tom had gone out to get an armful of wood. He then built a fire in the fireplace, and they all enjoyed siting and enjoying the companionship of good friends. Jill had already insisted that Harry and B'Elanna stay for dinner, and had already started a pot of chili. They spent the rest of the afternoon telling stories and laughing. Soon, they were getting hungry as the aroma of the chili was drifting out of the kitchen, and Jill got up to serve up the chili. Tom had gotten the table set, and once they were seated, they each dished up a bowl of the meaty chili. They had chunks of french bread to go with it. Jill had also produced a warm fruit cobbler for desert.

When dinner was over, Tom had gotten up to take Harry and B'Elanna home, and Jill decided to stay behind to clean up and start to unpack clothes. She knew that he wouldn't be gone more than an hour, so she knew she could get the clean up done, and maybe all the clothes unpacked. They had moved to the door, and she had hugged and thanks B'Elanna and Harry for their help, kissed Tom, and then, after the door shut had gone to the kitchen to clean up. Once done, she walked to the master bedroom and began unpacking clothes. It took her almost twenty minutes to finish. She then sat on the bed and thought back to the day before, and the discussion she and Tom had. He had insisted on sleeping in one of the guest rooms. He had told her, that he felt that it was a good idea, and, even though it was the twenty-fourth century, he wanted to be traditional and not sleep with her till their wedding night. She had thought it was sweet, but told him he didn't need to, but at the look on his face, she agreed with him. He was so cute, and the idea that he was thinking of her virtue, actually made her feel special. Tom wanted their first time to be something special, and the more she thought of it, the more she did too, so he would be sleeping in the guest room till they married. She stood up and took Tom's pj's, robe and a few other personal things into the guest room, and tried to make it comfortable for him, laying out his robe and pj's. She left the light on from the table lamp, and it gave off a gentle glow. She went back out to the living room to wait for Tom...

Tom could smell the wonderful aroma of coffee and pancakes. He got out of bed and put his robe on and went to the kitchen. Jill was standing before the stove, and cooking his favorite...blueberry pancakes. He also saw a platter of turkey sausages,and was sure it was his mother's recipe. The home computer system was playing music, and she was humming along. She began to do a little dance step to the music, and he just stood in the doorway and smiled at her. She was the most incredible woman, and he had been really surprised and happy to find out she also liked twentieth century music. They did have some differences, but not enough to cause any arguments. She turned and saw him standing there with a grin on his face, and immediately stopped, and looked slightly embarrassed.

"You caught me."

She said a little sheepishly. He just continued to grin and walked over to her and took her in his arms and kissed and hugged her. He nuzzled her for a moment before saying

"I love it...you looked so cute."

He let her go so she could flip the pancakes. Once they were on the plate, she took both the pancakes and sausages to the small table in the small breakfast nook and set them down on the table. Turning around, she went and opened the refrigerator and got the pitcher of orange juice out and took that to the table. Meanwhile, Tom had gotten the coffee and poured their coffee into the mugs on the table. He set the pot down on the mat, and sat down. Jill joined him, and they began to eat breakfast. Their conversation was about the move and how much they loved their new home. Jill was a little sorry that his parents were farther away, but with the transport station, which was going to be active this week, they would be able to get back and forth a lot easier than flying. And, Jill was happily planning Thanksgiving dinner. They had invited Harry and B'Elanna yesterday, and Tom planned to invite both Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay. He also planned to invite his other two team members at the lab. They were actually dating each other, so it would be a full house, but Jill seemed up to it. She had told him of the one old fashion holiday that her family had celebrated, and of all the good food that they had prepared. He was actually looking forward to it. His parents were going to come up the day before and spend the night in the other guest room. He knew his mother was going to enjoy all the baking, as she loved the old fashion cooking. They had finished breakfast, and Jill had cleaned up the kitchen. They had gone into the living room, and Tom had built up the fire, so they had a good fire going. It certainly took the chill off in the home. They sat on the couch and snuggled together and began to plan the holiday

Jill began telling Tom all about her plans and what she hoped would turn into a tradition in the Paris Clan.

"Tom, I so want this to become a tradition in our family...I know it meant a lot to my family."

"I do too. I've researched the holiday, and it is the only one of it's kind...setting a day apart to be thankful for you're blessings. I like it."

"It's only two weeks away. Since we're having ten for dinner, I think I'm going to need two turkey's. I checked the computer, and found a place in town that sell turkey's. I'll want to get them at least two days before. They will keep in the refrigerator for that time."

Tom smiled and was enjoying her enthusiasm over preparing such a large meal.

"Are you going to be able to get off work early that Tuesday?"

She asked and Tom assured her he would. He had decided to close the lab early for that week. He was letting them go at noon on Wednesday, and not opening back up till the following Monday morning. It wasn't bad, as they could all take work home to work on if they wished, and they wouldn't get behind. They were in the middle of a new shuttle class, and on the verge of developing a new source of power. They were all excited but no one more than B'Elanna. He himself was planning on working on the new nacelle design. It still needed some work and he had been working on it for a few weeks. He also knew that both B'Elanna and Harry wanted to work on the power system, so he figured that between the three of them, they'd get it worked out.

"I would like for you to take me to the farm that has the turkeys on Tuesday. I'm getting twenty pounders, so I'll need help getting them home."

Tom nodded and they made plans to go after lunch. She had also wanted to beam to the east coast, to get fresh cranberries, and to pick up a couple of pumpkins on Monday of that week. He asked if she needed help, she said

"Can you get off for an extra hour for lunch? We can take a cart and then beam back with the items. I know of a place that sells both items in Massachusetts."

"Sure that's the beauty of being the boss."

He grinned at her, and she leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"I should have thought of that, my day will only be till 1130, the big boss is going to a conference and decided to call off the all day meetings. So I'll be free the rest of the day. We can beam over and get our stuff, and then beam back here and we can have a nice lunch before you have to go back to the lab."

She looked at him with a seductive look and again leaned over to kiss him, although this time she kissed him on the lips, and he took her in his arms. They deepened the kiss, and only pulled away when they had to come up for air. Jill snuggled up to him and laid her head on his shoulder, and they spent the rest of the morning together on the couch and watching to weather outside. It was sunny, but cold outside, and they were both glad they had plenty of wood for the fireplace.

Jill was just walking into the building that housed the Lab that Tom worked at. She walked up to the reception desk, and a pleasant lady asked

"May I help you?"

"I'm here for Lt. Commander Paris."

She said. The woman looked at a clipboard and said

"May I have your name please?"

"Jill Morgan."

Looking through the entries, she smiled and said

"Here you are. Just a moment while get the Commander."

She stood and went to the door and used her security badge to open the door. Jill sat down in the waiting area, and after a few moments, the woman was back and said

"He will be right out."

She took her place again behind the desk, and returned to her work. A moment later, Tom came out and walked over to Jill and smiled

"Hi Sunshine...you ready to go?"

She stood up and they exchanged a light kiss.

"I'm ready."

Tom took her arm, and turning he said

"Be back in a couple of hours, Maggie. Hold down the fort for me."

Maggie smiled and said

"See you later Commander."

They walked out and across the square to the transport station.

"Where did you leave the cart?"

Tom inquired and Jill told him she had left it just outside their pad. They stepped onto the pad, and Jill entered the coordinates to the farm, and they were transported across the country. It only took them about thirty minutes, and Jill had gotten what she wanted. She had gotten ten pounds of fresh cranberries, three large pumpkins, and a twenty pound sack of potatoes. When Tom had questioned her about the amount, she just told him she wanted to preserve some of it. The potatoes, she could use in her stews and soups. They loaded up the transport pad with the boxes, and stepped back onto the pad. Tom was closer to the keypad, so he entered their home coordinates and they appeared at home. The cart was there, so Tom loaded up the cart with the pumpkins, and potatoes, but Jill was able to carry the cranberries. Once inside, he unloaded the items, and took the cart outside to the garage. When he came back in, Jill had already dished out lunch, and they enjoyed a quick meal of hot tomato soup and peanut butter sandwiches. The box of potatoes were still on the floor by the stove, but the three pumpkins were sitting on the counter. He knew she had something planned for the afternoon and said

"So what have you got planned this afternoon?"

"Besides making something wonderful for your dinner?"

She grinned and knew that was not what he had wanted to know. At the look on his face, she laughed and said

"I plan to make the cranberry sauce and work on the pumpkins."

"Well, then."

He said as he looked at the clock on the wall

"I guess that's my cue to go back to work...I can see you're going to be busy this afternoon."

He gave her his best puppy dog look. She stood and said

"Go back to work, and when you get home, I'll have a surprise for dinner."

They walked arm in arm to the front door, and before he left to beam back to work, they shared a very passionate kiss.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The sun was rising over the trees and the light began to stream into the bedroom and drifted over the rich tones of the wood furniture in the room. The lone occupant of the room had been awake for an hour now, and was sitting on the love seat and watching intently the rise of the sun.

Today was her wedding day. She was nervous, but it was a good kind of feeling. She loved Tom with all her heart,and wanted more than anything to be able to be a good wife. She lazily thought back to their first meeting almost a year ago. She still didn't know why she had gone to that particular cafe on that particular night. She had sat there and had not even had time to order more than a glass of wine, before he had appeared. Her dream lover...he was just as he appeared in her dreams. It had surprised her that he had been having the same dream. How had that been possible? It was as if it had been destine to happen. She and Tom. They had left the cafe and gone to the park and sat for hours just talking and getting to know each other. He had told her of his memory loss and that he had made several mistakes in his past, but to her it didn't matter. She loved him no matter what had happened in his past. The idea of spending the rest of her life with this wonderful person made her feel all warm inside.

Now, spring had come, and today they would say their vows to each other and would become one flesh. The day promised to be warm, and she was glad that there seemed to be no threat of rain. She wanted everything to be perfect this day. Sighing, she rose and put on her robe. She wondered if Tom was up yet as she went towards the kitchen. Her question was answered as she heard the bang of a pan. As she walked in, she saw Tom standing over the stove, stirring something in a pan. He looked rumpled and she smiled as he looked up at her.

"Good morning, what are you making?"

"An old fashion farm breakfast...eggs, hash brown potatoes, and..."

He walked over to the oven and took out a pan of fresh biscuits.

"My mom's famous biscuits!"

He looked at her with a triumphant grin. She came over and checked the other breakfast items and said

"If you're not careful, the eggs will burn."

He quickly put the biscuits down and went to tend to the other items. Meanwhile, Jill took the juice out of the refrigerator along with the jar of jam and took them to the table. Tom brought their two plates, and the biscuits and they sat down to enjoy the morning meal. Jill took a bite and raised her eyebrow and said

"This is really good, Tom."

He looked at her and said

"What? You thought I couldn't cook? I'll have you know my mom taught me all her secrets!"

He continued to eat as Jill just watched him. He had that look on his face that she knew was his way of teasing her. After a moment, she just burst out laughing. He again just looked at her and continued to eat as if nothing had happen. By the time she had stop laughing, she could see the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Okay, give, how did you learn to be just a good cook?"

He finally chuckled and said

"Well, to tell you the truth, I was talking to my mom last week, and I told her what a great cook you are and she told me she had taught me to cook when I was a boy. I didn't remember any of it, and so I just thought I'd try it out. Guess she was right, I can cook."

He took another bite, and watched her as he waggled his eyebrows at her. She just sat there for a moment, and began giggling again. He soon joined her.

Tom was sitting in the living room and thinking of what would be happening today...his wedding day. The guest's would be arriving soon, and he knew that Jill was in the master bedroom and he would not see her again till she walked down the aisle towards him. He wasn't nervous really, but he felt the butterflies in his stomach. He was so happy to be getting married at last. He smiled to himself as he remembered their first meeting only a year ago. Even though they had not met before in person, his dream had been very vivid, and he had felt that he already knew her. It had been a surprise to find out she had been having the same dream. It seemed strange really that they would be having the same dream...maybe fate had deemed that they should be together? He didn't know for sure. He just knew that he was going to do everything in his power to make Jill happy. His mind wandered to the vows he had written. He was going to promise his love, compassion and help to her for the rest of his days. He knew all would be well, but he couldn't figure out how he knew it?

He was roused out of his musings by Harry, who sat down next to him and put his hand on Tom's shoulder and said

"Hey, buddy what are you thinking? You look light-years away?"

Tom turned to Harry, who was his best man and said

"Just thinking Har. My life is going to change today, and I don't understand what I did to deserve such a wonderful lady like Jill?"

Harry smiled and said

"Tom, you're not a bad guy...even though you lost over twenty-five years of memories, you still are what you are...a good man."

"Thanks, Har...now I know why I chose you for my best man! You always know how to pull me back to reality. You know, Har, I've never discussed my past with Jill, oh she knows that I lost my memories, but we never got around to discussing any of my past."

Harry watched the emotions on Tom's face, and he felt compassion for his friend.

"Tom, don't worry, that wonderful lady in there with B'Elanna, loves you with all her heart. It's so obvious, you can see it every time she looks at you. No matter what is in your past...and I emphasize the word 'past'...she loves you and will always be there for you."

Tom looked at Harry, the look of worry still present on his face. Harry saw that Tom had some doubts, and he saw some tears starting to show in his eyes. He needed to get Tom out of his current thoughts so he said

"Tom, I think its getting time to get ready."

After a moment, Tom nodded but then said

"I need to check outside first."

He got up and started to move toward the windows, but Harry steered him towards the guest room where he was going to get ready and said

"Tom, I know for a fact that your dad is handling everything, and all you need to worry about is getting ready, so come on."

Tom took one look towards the windows, and then at Harry, and then nodded and they went to the room to begin to get ready for this day.

B'Elanna sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Jill began pacing. She knew that she was nervous, but in all the time she had known her, she never remembered seeing her pace. Must be something she picked up from Tom, she mused. Suddenly, Jill stopped in front of her and said

"B'Elanna, I'm so nervous, What if Tom is disappointed in me?"

B'Elanna looked shocked, and then said

"What would give you that idea?"

Jill just looked all the more scared and continued

"I mean what if I'm not what he really wants? What if I can't give him all he deserves?"

Now B'Elanna just let out her breath and said

"Jill don't worry...Tom loves you...It's as plain as day. You can see it on his face and in his eyes every time he looks at you."

Jill seemed to settle down a bit, but B'Elanna could still see some apprehension on her face so she asked

"Jill, whats really bothering you?"

"I'm...I'm just nervous I guess...I mean I've known Tom for a year, but I really don't know him. Oh I know his likes and dislikes, I know what makes him laugh and what will make him unhappy, but, I don't know what he really wants out of life...how his life was before we met...what he thought about and how he saw his life unfolding. What does he desire for his life?"

She ran out of breath, and sat down and then just looked out the windows. B'Elanna took and put her hand on her shoulder and said quietly

"I have known Tom for several years now, and I can tell you truthfully that he is completely and deeply in love with you and will do anything for you. Tom is a good man, and would never hurt you. I would suggest that as soon as you get a chance to talk to him, ask him about his dreams. He'll tell you what he expects from life. Tom is probably one of the most honest men I know."

Jill looked at B'Elanna and then smiled and said

"I know, I'm just being silly. Tom loves me and I love him, so all will be well. Now, I think it's time to get dressed."

They both laughed and began to get ready for the best day of Jill's life...her wedding day.

Tom stood next to Harry and looked at all the people who had come to see Jill and him start their lives together. He saw the members of Voyager who were able to attend sitting and waiting for the bride to make her appearance. Since Jill had no family, the crew had spread out on both sides. He saw both Kathryn and Chakotay in the second row along with Seven and the Doc. Neelix and Samantha Wildman were there, and he knew that Naomi had been recruited to be a Jr bridesmaid. Most of the crew were in attendance, and even his two sisters and their families were there. It made him feel near tears as he realized that he really had a great family along with his extended family from Voyager. He looked at his mother and she smiled at him with such warm eyes. She seemed so happy, and he knew that his mother and father had already welcomed Jill into the Paris clan. He began to fidget a bit, but Harry leaned over and whispered

"Tom, take it easy, you'll wear yourself out."

"Thanks Har, I'll try."

But it was no good...he couldn't settle down. He just wanted to get on with it. Suddenly, he heard the music start, and he almost lost it. Then the front door opened, and all the guests turned to watch as Naomi came out in her light pastel green dress. Tom heard the awes and oohs as Naomi started towards Tom. She smiled widely at her favorite 'uncle' after Neelix, and Tom smiled back. Then came B'Elanna, who looked lovely in her dress, and Tom swore he heard Harry take a sharp intake of breath. He smiled and looked at Harry and knew that he was just waiting for his turn. Harry and B'Elanna had planned a summer wedding, and Tom was going to repay Harry by being his best man. Then, all eyes were diverted to the lovely bride as she walked out on the arm of Admiral Paris. Tom saw her, and his jaw dropped. She was absolutely stunning. She wore a simple dress in white with ruffles at her neck and hem. It reminded him of a vid he had watched with her of her trip to Hawaii before they had met. The type of dresses worn by the native Hawaiians. She had done her hair up and he saw that she had left a few wisps of hair to fall around her face and she had place flowers in her hair. She wore no veil, and her bouquet was made of some of her favorite Hawaiian blooms. He just couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was everything he had ever wanted in his life. Now she was walking towards him with a serene smile on her face. He was sure he had one big goofy grin plastered on his face, but he didn't care. The love of his life was walking towards him, and they were going to be one. All he could think of now was the wonderful life ahead of them. When they were only a couple of steps apart, he walked to her, and took the hand offered to him and brought her to stand next to him. And so they were married...

It was getting late and most of the guests had left. The only ones left were Tom's family and the senior staff. Tom and Jill were sitting under the trees and just watching as the stars were peeking out. They were cuddling and looked so in love. Both Kathryn and Chakotay were watching and felt the well being that generated from the young couple. They had been married now for six months and were quite happy themselves. Kathryn had been promoted to Admiral, and was busy with the department that was in charge of all things Borg. She had recruited Seven for her assistant, and they were busy writing curriculum for the classes that would be taught in the fall. Chakotay had also been promoted to Captain, and was teaching at the Academy in archeology. Both were quite happy. Now, as they watched the newlyweds, Kathryn said

"I don't think I've ever seen Tom so happy in all the years we were on Voyager, have you?"

Chakotay smiled and said

"I don't think I have either. I think this is the best thing that could happen to him...unless he was to get his memory back."

Kathryn frowned and shook her head as she replied

"I'm not so sure...he seems to have come to terms with his past, and burdening him with unpleasant memories wouldn't help. He really has been impressing the Admiralty with the designs coming out of his department. I was talking to Admiral Jenkins yesterday, and he said they were close to getting that new power source off the ground."

"I'd heard. He, Harry and B'Elanna have really been a good team...just like they were on Voyager."

They sipped their wine, and looked around to see Admiral and Mrs. Paris walking towards them. They seemed to be the last four people left, and now they joined them to finish their wine. Elizabeth Paris sighed and said

"My it's been a long day, but wasn't it a wonderful ceremony?"

"Yes, I think the vows that they wrote were lovely."

Kathryn said turning a smile to Chakotay. Owen spoke up and said

"It's too bad Tom can't get away at the moment, but I know he has a trip planned later this summer."

"Yes,dear, but at least he was able to get these next four days off. They could beam to some exotic location..."

"Jill told me yesterday that she was just glad they would be together..told me that Tom had plans to shut down the transporter so no one would bother them!"

Owen chuckled. He knew Tom would do it too. Now, they looked up to see the couple coming over to them.

"Kathryn..Chakotay..so glad you could come, we really loved having you here for our special day."

Tom grinned at them, and then continued

"Jill and I are calling it a day. Feel free to stay as long as you like, I know mom and dad are staying till the crew get everything cleaned up."

Chakotay stood, followed by Kathryn and said

"Thanks Tom..Jill, but we need to be going, got an early class tomorrow."

He shook Tom's hand and hugged and kissed Jill. Kathryn followed suit, and they said their goodbyes and left for the transporter. Tom turned to his parents and said

"Mom..Dad, thanks so much for taking care of the clean up...we really appreciate it."

Owen just smiled and said

"No problem, son I know you have other things on your mind."

He winked at his son and he hear Elizabeth say softly

"Owen..."

Jill and Tom just grinned, and with a goodnight kiss to the parents, they walked to the house arm in arm.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Tom was sitting in his office reading a report from B'Elanna. They were working on a new shuttle, and she had been having problems with the engine design. Their department was up to twelve people, and more wanted on board. He knew that they would be limited to about twenty people, and they already had over fifty applications, so they would be limited to the best of the best. He was glad that he had Harry and B'Elanna to help in the selection process. He placed the padd down with the report, and leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He was tired and had been working almost double shifts for the last week. He hated being home late, and not spending as much time with Jill. He knew she kept busy, not only with her work, but also with taking care of their menagerie. After ten months of married bliss, they now were the owners of twelve chickens, one rooster, who loved to get them up early, a cow, two horses and a stray cat that Jill had picked up one day at work. The thing was, the cat turned out to be pregnant, and had just given birth to a littler of six kittens. They were cute too. Jill had already fallen in love with them all and wanted to keep them all. He smiled as he remembered the look on her face, as she had watched 'mama cat' give birth. She had helped all she could, but mostly she just watched with wonder. How could he ever deny her anything he thought? He knew that he would give in to her, and suddenly he chuckled at himself. He truly was a softy as his mom had said when he had discussed the kittens with her.

Harry popped his head into the office, and said

"Hey, Tom, I think we've solved the problem with the engines on the new class shuttle. B'El is in seventh heaven. Come on, see what we did!"

It was obvious that Harry was relieved. He and B'Elanna had been married now for eight months, and were still in the honeymoon phase. Tom only had two months on them, but they still seemed to act like newlyweds, which wasn't bad. Tom just loved watching his two best friends as they interacted at work. They walked out of his office and headed to the conference table to see what B'Elanna had come up with. She was sitting there talking to one of the new engineers and they seemed to be having a intense conversation.

"How did you come up with this Commander?"

The man said, as he looked at the diagrams laid out on the table. He seemed quite confused with the information on the plans. B'Elanna just shrugged, but both Tom and Harry knew she was excited as she said

"It just came to me as I was looking at the warp core stats. Something we had used on Voyager, and I had thought about it and decided to see if it would work on these babies."

She ended with a smile on her lips.

"But, using Borg technology? It's just seems strange."

He answered, shaking his head. Before B'Elanna could get upset, Tom offered his explanation

"Out in the DQ, we had to make do with what we had on hand. If this works, I say we use everything at our disposal."

He smiled at the other engineer and then turned to B'Elanna and said

"Okay, Bella, what have you got?"

She began explaining what she had in mind. As she finished, Tom could see the merit of it and began nodding his head and made the decision.

"Okay, let get it set up on the holodeck and check it out. Good job you guys. Let me know when you're ready to test this out."

He nodded and turned to go back to his office to finish the last two reports he had left on his desk. With any kind of luck, they would get a handle on this, and they could all take a couple of days off. He, for one was looking forward to some down time at home.

It had taken them the rest of the morning and into the afternoon to get the simulation set up in the holodeck. Tom had checked on it a couple of times, and had lent a hand for the programing. Now, it was almost quitting time, and they were debating if they should try a test tonight or wait till the morning when everyone would be fresh. Tom was all for waiting till tomorrow, as he was dog tired. B'Elanna had a different idea though. She wanted to start the test, and was not in the mood to wait. Harry, of course, was in the middle, so he just kept his mouth shut.

"Come on, Bella, it's late. We'd do better if we waited till morning. I don't know about you, but I'm tired. And being tired just begs for mistakes to be made."

B'Elanna just shrugged and said more forceful than she had intended.

"Then you go home, I'll do it my self."

Harry saw the look on Tom's face and decided to step in to defuse the argument he saw coming

"Hey, why don't we wait till the morning, I know you're anxious to finish this B'El, but we're all tired, and it wouldn't do to try to push ourselves and ruin it, and put us behind more."

He looked at his wife's face to see if he was in trouble, but he saw that B'El was beginning to listen. She just stood there for a moment, turning over in her mind if it made sense. Deciding that they were right, she sighed and said

"Okay, guys, we'll wait. I know it's been a long week, and no one is ready for a break like I am. I guess that's why I want to finish this project so much."

She looked at Tom and smiled. She saw the tired look in his eyes, and the frown on his face. He had been putting in long hours, and it showed. His face looked haggard, and now she was sorry she had added to the stress of the day. She reached out and patted his arm and said

"Sorry, Tom, I just want to get this done...I'm sure it will work."

Tom smiled for the first time since he had come to the holodeck and replied

"I know, Bella, I know. It should work fine, but right now, I'm so tired, I just want a good hot dinner and then bed."

He stiffed a yawn, and at that moment, his comm badge chirped, and they all heard the familiar voice

"Doctor to Mr. Paris."

He knew that Jill had gone in for a check up, and he was going to meet her to take her home.

"Hey, Doc. Is Jill finished?"

"She is, but I'd like you to come early. There's something we need to discuss."

The Doc sounded a little different, and now Tom started to worry. Was something wrong with Jill? Was she okay? He began to let his imagination run wild. In a panicked voice he said

"Doc..."

"Before you panic, Mr. Paris, nothing is wrong. We just need to discuss my findings."

The Doc seemed to be cryptic, and Tom was still worried

"I'll be there in ten Doc..Paris out."

He turned to his friends and said

"Can you two make sure the lab get closed up. I need to go now."

"Sure Tom, let us know what happens, okay?"

This was from Harry, who was also a little worried. If something was wrong with Jill he knew it would kill Tom. B'Elanna added

"Go, flyboy, we'll take care of things here. Let us know what's up...please"

Tom was already on his way out of the holodeck, but he nodded as he left.

Tom had arrived at Starfleet medical in record time. He didn't even pause at the desk as he sprinted down the hall to the Doc's office. He had been offered a position in research, but had also kept his Voyagers patients too. He slid to a stop in front of the door, and went in. As he walked toward the receptionist, she looked up and smiled

"Commander Paris, the Doctor will be right with you."

She called the Doctor and told him that the Commander was there. A few minute later, the Doc came out and said airily,

"Ah Mr. Paris, you made good time I see that you made it here in nine minutes!"

Tom was not in the mood for the Doc's humor and said,

"Doc, please how's Jill? Is everything okay?"

At the look on Tom's face, the Doctor stopped his teasing and said softly

"Nothing to worry about,Mr. Paris. Come on lets go to my office so Jill will be in on this too."

They turned and walked to the office, and, as Tom entered he saw Jill sitting there, and he could swear, as she turned to look at him, that she had a certain glow about her. He went over to her and kissed her lightly and sat down next to her. The doctor took his seat and then he just beamed at them both. Tom wasn't sure what to think, as he looked between his wife and the doctor.

"Okay, what's up? I'm too tired to be guessing"

Jill smiled a beautiful smile at him and said

"Tom, I'm fine. The Doc said I was in perfect health. He has told me though that...I'm pregnant."

She looked at her husband to see what his reaction would be. For a moment, he just looked at her as if the fact didn't sink in. Then, it slowly sank in, and his face lighted up like a solar flair. He looked stunned but very happy. After a moment, he turned to the Doc and asked

"When is he due?"

The doc looked surprised but said

"Jill is eight weeks and you should be getting the newest addition in seven months...and may I ask how you knew it was a boy?"

The Doc seemed confused, but both Tom and Jill smiled. Then Tom said

"It's the dream, Doc. We both dreamed of our family and we had three kids, two boys and one girl. The first born was a boy."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows and nodded

"Ah, the dream...Interesting. Tell me Mr. Paris, have you continued to have this dream?"

It was an interesting thing, and the doc was thinking of writing a paper on it.

"No, Doc, neither one of us have had anymore of the dream. The last time was when we went and had a picnic at our land before anything was built. We sorta to a nap after lunch, and we both had the same dream about our family."

He had been looking at Jill the whole time he was talking to the Doc. The look on his face was one of shear delight. Again the doc said

"Hmm, that is interesting."

Then, the doc began to advise Jill on her pre natal care. He gave her a couple of hyposprays of vitamins and gave Tom several more for her till her next appointment. He gave Jill some literature on pregnancy, and, with a warning to take it easy, he let them go to get home.

They arrived home to the sound of the kittens playing and wrestling. Mama Cat sat on the couch, watching her brood, but jumped off to greet her people as they walked in the door. She rubbed against there legs, and Tom reached down to pet her. She arched her back to enjoy the full effect, and it was clear who Mama Cat had adopted. Tom guided Jill to the couch, and sat her down. After she was settled, Mama Cat jumped up again and settled down next to Jill.

"Are you hungry?"

He asked and Jill nodded and said

"Yes, I am. I can have something ready in thirty minutes."

She started to rise, but Tom wouldn't let her.

"Oh no, you stay right there, I'll fix dinner."

He gave her a looked that said he meant it. She let out her breath in exasperation and said

"I'm pregnant, not an invalid."

Tom just leaned down and kissed her and said

"You heard what the Doc said, you're to rest. I can fix dinner for you."

She was going to resist, but one look at his face, she succumbed to his wishes.

"Alright my love, I'll just put my feet up, and you can wait on me hand and foot."

She smiled up at him and raised her feet to recline on the couch. He turned and walked into the kitchen and said

"Okay, my special super duper beef stew and french bread coming up!"

She smiled at him. She knew the meal was one they had frozen last winter, and all he had to do was get it out of the freezer and heat up. But she loved him anyway. She listened to him clatter around the kitchen. She leaned back and closed her eyes. It had been a long day, and she was glad to be home. She knew Tom had had a hard week and he was tired too. She felt a small body land on her stomach, and she opened her eyes to see two green eyes looking back at her. One of the kittens had climbed up and now was trying to get settled on her for a nap. She reached down and took the kitten and settled him on her chest. The kitten began to purr, and Jill nodded off.

Jill awoke to a gentle touch on her shoulder. She now had all six kittens sleeping on her, and Mama Cat was curled up next to her. She looked up at Tom's smiling face and stretched.

"Dinner's ready, come on, I'll help you up."

He reached out his hand, and she took it and, sitting up, the kittens sprawled off of her and looked around to see what had disturbed them. Both Tom and Jill giggled at the looks on the kitten's faces. They went to the table, and sitting down, Tom dished up her beef stew. He ladled a scoopful on his plate, and taking some lightly toasted bread, he began to eat. He was tired, and knew Jill was too, so there was not much talking during the meal. Once they were done, Tom cleared the table and he helped Jill clean up. Then, they went back out to the living room and sat down on the couch. It was still early, so they just sat there and snuggled. Tom broke the silence and said

"We need to comm my parents and give them the news that they will once again become grandparents. Then I should call Harry and Bella, as they were in the holodeck when the Doc's message came through. They wanted me to let them know how you were."

"I think we should call your parents first...then we can call Harry and B'Elanna next."

She snuggled closer and sighed as she continued

"Tom, are you happy? I mean, it isn't to soon to start our family is it?"

He hugged her tighter and said

"Oh yeah, I am so happy, and no, I don't think it's too soon. I can hardly wait to take him up in the Delta Flyer!"

"Well, at least wait till he's a few months old."

She laughed at her husband's eagerness to take his son flying. That was one of the things she loved about him, his passion for flying. He gently disengaged himself from her and they went into the library/office to send the message to his parents. He sat down in front of the computer and brought up his parents code and sent the call. After a moment, his father's face came on and Tom saw the smile come to his face

"Tom..Jill good to see you, when can we expect you for dinner?"

Tom smiled at his father and said

"Soon, dad, but is mom there? Can you get her, we'd like to tell you something."

Owen Paris looked at his children and wondered if anything was wrong. But the looks were not bad, so he called for his wife to come into the room. After a moment, Liz Paris came on and she smiled at her two children.

"Tom...Jill how are you two?"

"Hey, mom. We wanted to let you both know that we saw Doc today and...well you're both are going to become grandparents...again"

The look on his parent's faces told them that they were quite happy to be grandparents again. With promises to come for dinner, they broke the connection and then Tom called Harry and B'Elanna to break the news to them too.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jill was sitting on their front porch watching Tom as he worked in the yard. He had brought home some mature lilac bushes, and was now planting them for her. She had said last week how much she had admired the lilac bush in his parents garden, and so he had gotten some for her as a surprise. She tried to get comfortable on the lounge, but was having trouble finding the right place. Being nine months pregnant wasn't helping either. She finally got comfortable and sighed. She watched as Tom took the last bush and pulled it from the pot and planted it in the ground, and began to cover it with the dirt. Once done, he watered this one too and then went to turn off the water. Jill laughed as she watched three cats follow him to the faucet. All the cats had attached themselves to Tom, who seemed to accept it without a second thought. He knelt to turn the water off, and gave all the cats an affectionate rub. The three of them just ate it up. They had given two of them away, a female to Harry and B'Elanna, and a male to Kathryn and Chakotay. Now they had Mama Cat and three of her babies left. Doc had even fixed them so they wouldn't be able to breed. She still remembered him grumbling

I'm a doctor... not a vet, but he had done it anyway, and the last female had gone to the doc. He had seemed taken with the runt of the litter, and they were more that happy to give her to Doc.

Tom joined her on the porch and sat down next to her. He wiped his forehead with his arm and said

"I got them all planted, and now I'm watering the garden. I'm glad we put in that sprinkler system. Makes it so much easier."

She smiled and said

"You have done so much work this morning. I made some lemonade. It's in the refrigerator, why don't you get two glasses of ice and the pitcher, and we can enjoy a cool drink...I'd get it myself, but I just got comfy."

He grinned and got up and went to get the lemonade, pausing to lean over her tummy to say to the baby

"Mom sure has me waiting on her hand and foot!"

She smiled sweetly and said

"You love it!"

He just grinned at her and went inside to get the lemonade.

He was back in a few minutes, and placed the pitcher down on the table between the chairs, and poured them each a tall glass of lemonade. Jill took a sip and leaned back and said

"That tastes good, I hope it's not too sweet for you?"

Tom had taken a large swig and had also leaned back in his chair

"Nope...It's just right."

He looked around and said

"I think it's going to be hot today...don't want you to stay out to long and get overheated..okay?"

He knew, that in her condition, she tended to get too hot, and he didn't want her to be uncomfortable at all. She grinned and said

"Don't worry, Tom, as soon as it gets too hot, I'll go inside and turn on that big fan in the living room."

He had replicated a large window fan to help with the heat. She had shook her head when he had set it up, but had to admit, it help a lot when she felt that the heat was too much. She knew that being nine months pregnant didn't help. The weather in Montana usually didn't get that hot, but this summer, it did get uncomfortable for Jill. She was glad it was almost time. She was tired of 'waddling' everywhere. Of course Tom just smiled when she complained and told her he thought she was beautiful. She would then look him in the eye and say how could he think she was beautiful being so big. He would always come back with the same answer...He liked her roundness, and if she was close enough he would lean down to her stomach and say...Isn't that so Mikey? They had picked the name for the baby...Micheal Thomas Paris. Micheal was Jill's father's name, and she had insisted on Thomas as a middle name, even though he wasn't sure he wanted to saddle him with it, but Jill had insisted it was a good name. So in the end he had given in to her. Now they were sitting and enjoying the morning.

Tom had taken some time off from the lab, as he wanted to be available for her if she needed him, as she was so close to her due date. He had decided that it would do no harm to be available for her, so he could make sure she got to Star Fleet Medical when the time came. He had been spending time puttering around the property for the last week. He had to repair a small break in the force field he had set up to keep the wild life out of the vicinity. He didn't want to wake up to find that a coyote or other predator had attacked the animals. He had been glad that the cats hadn't found the break. They had allowed ample space for them to wander around the property, and still be safe. He knew Jill would be upset if anything happened to any of their animals. He would to he had to admit. Those three cats loved following him around. In fact, he had barely got the force field fixed when they came bounding out at him. They never ran into the field, but sometimes came close. He had finally decided they could sense where it was and knew when to stop.

Now, as he relaxed, the black and white one jumped up to settle in his lap. He absently began petting him, and he could hear the cat begin purring. He wasn't sure where the other two were, but this one was never far away. They had named him Neelix, after the cook on Voyager, and the name seem to fit him. The cat was always trying to please his people. The other two were tabbies and Jill had named them Kirk and Spock after the famous Enterprise captain and first officer. Tom had asked her how she had come up with those names, and she just said that Kirk the cat always seemed to be in charge, and Spock the cat was always following in Kirk's steps. Tom had thought about it a moment and then just laughed, as it was so true. If you saw Kirk, Spock was right behind him.

Now, Jill struggled to rise, and Tom stood to help her up. Once on her feet, she motioned him to sit back down and said

"I'm okay, I just thought I'd go fire up the fan."

She turned and 'waddled' into the house. Tom just watched her and grinned. No matter how much she waddled, he still thought she was beautiful and he loved her with all his heart. He sat back down and leaned back again and it didn't take long to drift off to sleep.

Jill was lying on the couch enjoying the cool air that circulated from the fan. Again she realized the blessing it had been. She had seemed skeptical that one fan would help, but she had to admit it did. Now she was so glad he had replicated it. She had drifted off to sleep and now woke up with an uncomfortable feeling in her abdomen. She shifted and closed her eyes again. Within ten minutes, she again felt the same feeling. After it passed, she decided to sit up, hoping it would make her feel better. As she rose, she felt wetness and then she knew. It was time. Struggling to get up, she called out to Tom, hoping he was still on the porch, but when he didn't answer, she walked to the front door and went outside. She saw him returning from the barn, and she called out to him

"Tom...it's time."

He looked at her and then, when it sunk in, he came running to her

"Are you sure? I need to call the Doc...we need to get to Medical..."

She smiled and replied

"Tom, relax...we have time..now you get my bag, and then comm the Doctor. We have time."

Tom went into the house and got her bag and his comm badge. He also got the medical tricorder and when he came back out, he scanned his wife. Reading the information, he saw that she had indeed started labor. He tapped the badge and said

"Paris to the Doctor."

They heard the Doc's voice answer

"Yes, Mr. Paris, what can I do for you this lovely morning?"

"Doc, Jill had gone into labor and we are coming to Medical."

"I'll meet you both there...Doctor out."

Tom picked up the bag, and turned to his wife and smiled

"You ready for this? To be a mommy?"

She grinned at him as another contraction hit and said

"Only if you're ready to be a daddy."

"A daddy...a daddy...yeah, I think I am."

They walked slowly to the transporter and after stepping on the pad, they beamed to Medical.

Once there, Jill was taken to a birthing suite, with Tom following her. Once she was settled in bed, the Doc came to check on her.

"Ah, my two favorite patients."

He said as he looked at them and took his tricorder out to scan her. After looking at the readings, he commented

"You're doing fine. You are dilated to six centimeters."

He handed the tricorder to his once assistant and said

"When she gets to nine centimeters, call me."

Tom took the tricorder, and said

"Is everything alright...Jill?"

The Doc smiled at him and laid a hand on his shoulder and replied

"Everything is just fine, Mr. Paris, You and Jill will soon be the happy parents of a bouncing baby boy. Don't worry. Now I will see you later."

He smiled at them and turned to leave. Tom was still nervous and said

"You sure Doc? Nothing's wrong?"

The Doctor again placed a hand on Tom's shoulder and said

"Yes, Tom, everything is fine. Don't worry. Now go talk to your lovely wife, and call me when it's time."

The Doc walked out and left Tom and Jill alone. Tom came over to her and sat in the chair next to her bed. She could see he was worried, and she reached for his hand and said

"Maybe we ought to call your parents...I'm sure they would like to be here?"

Tom was silent for a moment then said

"Yeah... I'll comm them."

He tapped his badge and said

"Commander Paris to Admiral Paris."

A moment delay and they hear his dad's voice say

"Tom..What can I do for you?"

He was in his office and had been buried in paperwork most of the morning, so being interrupted was a blessing. He had a meeting with Admiral Janeway in half an hour, but welcomed the call from his son.

"Dad, we're at Medical. Jill has gone into labor, so can you get mom and come over?"

The voice on the other end sounded breathless as they heard

"Jill's in labor? Of course we can. I'll get your mom, and we'll be there soon."

The connection was broken and Tom knew that soon his parents would be here to share in the birth of a new grandson.

It wasn't thirty minutes later that both of Tom's parents were on hand along with Admiral Janeway, Captain Chakotay. Jill had gone fully dilated in the following hour, and the Doc had come back, and shooed all but Tom out of the room. Now they all waited in the waiting room for news of the baby. Finally, after a couple of hours, Tom came out to announce that Micheal Thomas Paris had made his appearance at 15:46 on June 17th 2372. He weighed seven pounds five ounces, and had his mother's hair and eye coloring.

The doc would only allow a short visit, so they were all allowed to see Jill and the baby. Jill was happy, but tired, and Tom had his son in his arms. Both his parents said that Micheal had his father's features, but Tom insisted that his son looked just like his mother. Jill had fallen asleep, so they tried to talk softly. His mother and father watched him rock his new son in his arms, a smile plastered on his face. He looked so natural cuddling his son, that his father knew he was going to be a better father than he had been to Tom. He regretted not spending more time with his only son, and he wanted to make up for that. He and Tom had made great strides in rectifying the past. Now, he had a new grandson to lavish love on and he intended to make up for his past mistakes.

Two weeks had past, and they were home. Tom was sitting in the rocking chair he had made and was rocking his son, who had woken up. Jill had been tired, so he had gotten up to care for Mikey. Now, he rocked and softly sang to his son, who had drifted back to sleep. As Tom looked down at the small life in his arms, he thought again how adorable he was. His hair was as soft as silk, just like his mom's and he always seemed to be curious of his surroundings. When he was awake, he would look at everything that caught his attention. Tom had always wondered, during Jill's pregnancy, if he would be a good father. Having his father tell him of their relationship, and his father's guilt over not being the father Tom had needed, had worried him. But Jill had comforted him and had assured him he would be. Now as he sang softly, he suddenly heard a very familiar voice say

"My, My, Tommy-boy...Don't you look adorable sitting in that rocking chair and singing to your son and you, wondering if you will be a good father. So touching"

Tom froze and looked up. He knew that voice...Q...

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Tom stood and took his son and laid him down in his crib. His hands were shaking a bit as he covered him up, and then he laid his hand on Micheal's back. He felt Q's presence behind him, and instinctively he shielded his son as he turned to face the entity. Q looked at him and grinned and said

"My, My protective aren't we? But we need to talk, and I'd hate to have Jr wake up again so..."

He snapped his fingers, and they reappeared on the front porch. The night sky was filled with stars, and there was a light breeze, but since it was mid June, it was not uncomfortable. Tom turned on Q and said

"Okay Q, what's this all about? Why are you here?"

"Patience, my dear Tommy-boy. All in good time. Now, tell me about this wonderful little home you two have built."

Tom frowned at him and crossed his arms across his chest. After a moment, he said

"I'm not playing games with you, Q, why are you here and what do you want from me and my family?"

At that, Q started to laugh

"Tommy...Tommy...I must admit, you were one of my favorites on Voyager...that is next to Kathy."

He got a leer on his face as he thought of the lovely captain of Voyager. Tom noticed the look and said

"You can forget about Kathryn, she and Chakotay have gotten married."

"Chuckles?"

He laughed again and continued

"So he finally bagged the fair Kathy."

He continued to chuckle

"I never thought he had it in him."

Frustrated, Tom sat down on the nearest chair, the frown still on his face. Q decided that he had had enough teasing, and sat down next to Tom. For a moment, he said nothing, but just looked at the human.

"You know, Tommy-boy, it's because I like your spunk!"

He looked again at the angry face, but Tom remained silent.

"Okay, Okay I've come to give you some answers."

Tom raised an eyebrow at Q and said

"Answers? To what?"

"Why to all the questions you've had these last four years, of course. I know you're not that obtuse."

He slapped Tom on the back as if they were long lost friends, but Tom was still wary of Q. He had seen the way Q had pursued his captain, and was never sure if Q had a hidden agenda. He turned to Q and said

"Okay Q, tell me all the answers."

"Let's go to the very beginning...I have spent some really agonizing time with you...well not YOU, but the other you's. Most of them always whining about there life, how nothing went like they wanted, how their lives were ruin. Disgusting."

Q made a face and Tom just looked at him with confusion.

"Tommy-boy, I see I'll have to spell it out for you. There are multiple universes, and in each is …..or was a Tom Paris. Almost all of them have let their lives go down the toilet. They drank themselves into an early grave, some were so drunk that they were a statistic on the local police blotter, some were found in a back alley in Marseilles with their throat slit, some were killed in prison,and the few that went to the Delta Quadrant, were either killed when Voyager was boarded by the Kazon, or a shuttle explosion, beaten up by the Maquis, or Fleeters, or were assimilated by the Borg. Counting yourself, there are very few Tom Paris' alive."

He paused to see how this Tom Paris was reacting, and saw the horror on his face. Good, he was getting through to him. Now on to the main event.

"I got tired of hearing all the whining and complaining and the 'woe is me' attitudes. I decided I would help the one Tom Paris that still had a semblance of a life, and BINGO! it was you!"

"Why me?"

Tom barely whispered. His face had gone pale, and tears were freely streaming down his face. He couldn't believe he was such a screw up. How could he just flush his life away? What had stopped him from going down the same path? Did he have any hope?

"Don't beat yourself up too badly, Tommy, remember, they are not you...so to speak. I decided to help you, because you were the only one who was fighting the downward spiral of your life. I've got to hand it to you, you never once gave up, and you saw being assigned to Voyager as a second chance. None of them did. So I caused your memory loss. I didn't want those memories to interfere with my plan."

Q looked at Tom with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"I'm also responsible for your dream."

With that statement, Tom looked up into Q's eyes, tears still falling freely from his eyes, and said

"You...you made the...the dreams? Why?"

Q was starting to feel a little compassion for this human. He had to admit, humans were quite compelling, and this one was one of his favorites. He stared at him for a minute, and then said

"Yes, the dreams were my doing. It was to let you know what could happen in your life. Besides, Jill was needing help too."

Tom became alarmed at that statement and said with fear in his voice

"Has the alternate Jill's had rotten lives?"

He hoped not. He loved that woman with all his heart, and the idea that she would suffer was unthinkable. He reached out to Q and continued

"Please, Q, tell me she is alright."

Q shook his head and said

"She only exists in this universe. In all the other universes, her parents were killed before she was born, so she wasn't there to pull you out of your misery"

Tom lowered his head to his hands, and cried more as he thought of that wonderful woman inside who, in all other existences, had never had the chance to live. It was just to much for him to take in. Q waited for him to get a hold of himself before he continued.

"Jill was close to taking her own life, after her parents were killed. If I hadn't started letting her dream of the life she could have, she probably would have. You and her were destined to meet and help each other through this miserable existence you puny humans live. Now, I am going to give your memories back. And I want you to think carefully. You have a good start to this life. Make the most of it. Your memories are going to be bad and hard to take right now, but you have handled it in the past...handle it now!"

Q nodded at Tom, and for a moment Tom did not react. Then, he cried out and said

"Oh my god...I remember everything. My childhood, my mistakes, all my screw ups, Caldik Prime...oh god, my friends...my dad disowning me, prison..."

He trailed off and again buried his head in his hands. Q took him by his shoulders and shook him and said rather forcefully

"Are you going to wallow in you life, or do something to get past this?"

Tom felt that he was being chastised by his father. He made the effort, and took a deep breath. Q continued

"Now, I expect you to get on with this life, and don't start belly aching about all this. I would suggest you have a long conversation with your wife about everything in your past. Hopefully, she will tell you about her's."

Q stood and looked down at the human, who was still upset. Why he bothered with this pitiful species he never could put his finger on it. But, he did. Maybe it was his time as a member of the species himself. Maybe Jean-Luc was right. Maybe there was a bit of humanity left in him? All he knew for sure was he wanted to help this particular human.

"Now Thomas Eugene Paris, the ball's in your court...I expect you to run with it. This is your decision and I want you to make the right one. I'll leave you with one gift...no more nightmares. Now go and see to your family."

With a flash of light, Q was gone, and Tom was left with his dark thoughts. He wasn't sure how to handle the information Q had given him. He now knew all his past, and again he wasn't proud in what he had done. True, he had known about it, and had successfully put it behind him, but remembering was harder. It was as if a wound had been torn open, and he could feel the pain all over again. It was excruciating. He wasn't sure if he could handle it all. Tired, and now fighting a headache, he leaned back and closed his eyes. He was still crying, and wasn't aware at first that Neelix had come and jumped up on him. Without thinking, he began to draw the cat to him and Neelix walked up and began rubbing his head on Tom's face, purring. Tom listened to the soothing sound, and little by little, he began to relax. He continued to stroke the cat, and was comforted. He began thinking of all Q had revealed and as he settled down, a new resolve came over him. He would do anything to make Jill happy and now, with a new son, he had even more to live for. He was going to do all in his power to make sure his family had a good life. He decided he was going to talk to Jill in the morning and tell her all about his past. He was sure it would make no difference to her what his past had been. He loved her very much and he was sure she loved him too. He continued to stroke Neelix and just the motion was enough to make him feel better. His headache even subsided. He was getting sleepy, and thought it must be after 0300. Reluctantly he moved, and Neelix jump down and went towards the stairs. As the cat walked away, Tom said

"Thanks, Neelix...you made me feel better."

All he heard from Neelix was a pummmmpp, and then the cat was gone. Turning, he went into the house and went back to the bedroom, thanking Q that he would not have the nightmares he had suffered with since Caldik Prime. He yawned as he checked on the baby, who was still fast asleep, and then he slipped into bed next to his sleeping wife. Tomorrow was going to be a tough day and he wasn't looking forward to it. He finally drifted off to sleep, his hand resting on Jill's hip.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Tom woke up and found the bed empty. He didn't hear Jill, and getting up, he saw that the baby was fast asleep in his crib. He smiled and laid a gentle hand on his son. He wanted everything to be right for him. Taking his robe, he went out to the kitchen and heard Jill humming to herself. He entered the kitchen and she turned to give him a smile as she said

"Good morning sleepyhead...it's about time you woke up. I thought you were going to sleep all morning."

He looked at her and said softly

"I didn't sleep much last night."

He came in and sat down at the table in the nook, and Jill noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the haunted look on his face. She went over to him and said

"Honey, what's wrong? You don't look so well? Are you sick?"

He pulled her down on his lap and buried his head in her neck for a moment. She felt him begin to cry, and she turned to look at him. She could see the tears in his eyes, and she said

"Tom what is it? Please tell me whats wrong."

He took a deep breath and said

"My memories were returned last night...we need to talk."

She was confused, she thought that he wanted to get his memory back, but he seemed so unhappy. What was the reason? Certainly it couldn't be that bad could it? Why did he look so devastated? She knew he didn't talk about his past, that he had read up on his past on Voyager after his accident, but he had never really mentioned anything bad. Was it really that bad? She wished she had talked to his parents about it so she would have been ready for this day. She just wanted to give him peace of mind. He was looking like a person who had lost his best friend. She leaned in and gently kissed him on the lips, and he clung to her for a long moment after. She whispered in his ear

"Tom, breakfast can wait. If we need to talk let's go into the living room."

He just sighed and nodded, then she stood, and he followed. She took his hand and lead him into the living room and sat him down on the couch. She sat down next to him and took his hands in her's and waited for him to begin. He took another deep breath and said

"When I was lost in the DQ, we encountered an entity known as Q. Their race is omnipotent and this particular Q loved to play pranks on us. He tried to get the Captain to mate with him once. Tried to get me to help him in his quest, but I told him to get lost. We only saw him once more when he brought his kid to Voyager so we could babysit him..."

"Who did he mate with if not the Captain?"

"A female Q, anyway the kid cause a lot of trouble, before Captain Janeway was able to straighten him out, and then they left. That was about a month before my accident."

He paused and looked at Jill, but she had the same concerned look on her face. He took another deep breath and continued.

"Anyway, last night after you had gone to sleep, I was up rocking Micheal, and Q just appeared. Said he had to talk to me. I put Micheal down, and Q whisked us out to the porch."

Jill looked a little worried that this Q had been in their home, but just listened to her husband continue

"He said he had taken an interest in me...he had been the one responsible for my memory loss."

"But why would he want you to lose your memories?"

"He said it would interfere with his plans if I could remember everything. He said I needed to learn about what made me who I was, he said my memories would interfere with that."

He again paused and seem to be struggling with what he wanted to reveal about all Q had told him. He had decided not to tell her she only existed in the one universe. He already was afraid that when she learned the full truth of his past, she would...

"It's okay, Tom."

She moved into his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. He held her and again nuzzled into her neck. She knew he was upset, and she wanted to do everything to make him comfortable. He was having a hard time telling her.

"Anyway, He told me he was responsible for the dreams we had. He said it was to let us know what we could have together. Did you know there are multiple universes? That in each universe is a counterpart? Well he told me that my counterparts were all screw ups. All had ruined their lives. Most had died either through self abuse to shuttle explosions to even being assimilated by the Borg."

At the mention of the Borg, Jill shivered. That was one subject she didn't want to talk about. The Borg scared her and she knew it scared Tom too. She snuggled closer and he did the same. After a moment, he continued

"He said he got tired of listening to all the whining these losers were doing, and that I was at least trying to put it behind me, so he decided to pick me and see if I would make a better life."

He was trying to tell her all his messed up past. How was he going to let her know what a screw up he was? True, he had tried hard to place all that behind him, but with getting his memories back so suddenly, it seemed so recent, even though it had all happened years ago. He was ashamed of how he had acted in the past and he didn't want to disappoint Jill. Then, in his mind he heard ….. _Just tell her …..._

"Jill, my past is something I'm not proud of. I was going down the same path as my counterparts, and if the accident hadn't happen, I think I may had done something stupid with my life. I suffered from intense nightmares, and at one time I even contemplated taking my own life."

She caught her breathe,but said nothing so he continued

"My dad and I had a bad relationship and he pushed me so much to do what he thought I should do that it put a strain on our time together. It got so bad that I did everything in my power to embarrass him and the family. After I graduated from the academy, on my first posting, I was at the controls of a shuttle on a training flight with my three best friends, and I made a pilot error and we crashed. My friends were all killed. I was so afraid of what Star Fleet would do, that I lied on my report...blamed it on my friend Charlie. He had nothing to do with it, but I blamed him."

He was crying now, and Jill wanted to comfort him, but he was on a roll now and did not stop. It was as if he wanted to get it all of his chest.

"After a week, I couldn't stand to look at myself, so I went forward and told the truth...it had all been my fault...they kicked me out of Star Fleet...not for the accident, but for lying. My dad was furious at me... said I'd thrown away my career...He threw me out of the house and told me to not come back. I couldn't find a job...everyone knew about the accident and no one would hire me...I drifted and began drinking heavily. I ended up in France and was taken in by a very wise lady named Sandrine. I think she felt sorry for me. Anyway, I worked in her bar for room and board. I still drank to forget. It was about three months before Chakotay came looking for a pilot. He almost didn't hire me I was such a drunk. I was so arrogant too, smart-ass mouth...I know I rubbed him the wrong way. But he took a chance with me, so I started flying for the Maquis. I'd only been with them a few weeks, and on my first mission, I got caught. The Federation tried me for treason, and I was sentenced to five years at the penal colony in Auckland. My dad disowned me."

He paused to take a breath, and looked at Jill. She was crying and there was a pained look on her face. His heart sunk. She was disappointed in him. He hurt to think he was causing her so much pain. He hung his head for a moment before he continued.

"I spent two years in there before Captain Janeway came and got me out to go on a mission with her to find Chakotay. I really didn't know where he was, but I said I'd help...I would have said anything to get out. I was beaten almost every day...not just the Maquis but also Fleeters. They said I was a traitor and murderer...the guards always looked the other way...unless they thought I'd really get hurt. I spent more time in the infirmary than anyone else in the cell block. It was suppose to be for three weeks, but once we got to the badlands, we were swept away to the DQ. We combined crews, and I had many a fight on my hands. Most of the people hated me. My only friend was Harry. He stood by me. When I told him I was not the best person for him to like, he told me he picked his own friends."

Tom smiled for the first time at remembering Harry's words. They had done so much to boost his feelings that day. He again looked at Jill, and she was still crying. Again he hung his head and said softly.

"Well, now you know what kind of man you married. Not a very honorable one...I'll understand if you..."

He trailed off not able to voice his fear. If he lost Jill and his son it would devastate him. He couldn't imagine life without them, but he wouldn't stand in her way if she wanted to leave.

Jill was still crying at the outrage that had been directed at her loving husband. He was the most caring man she had ever met, and to think he had endured so much before they met just devastated her. At this moment, she was at a loss as to how to make things better. She just knew she had to love him with all her heart and unconditionally. She grabbed him even harder and said through her tears.

"Oh Tom, I'm so sorry you went through all this. I wish I could have been there to help you. My heart aches for you."

She pulled him down into a very passionate kiss. When they surfaced for air, she looked at him and saw a look of confusion and something else...fear.

"What is it Tom?"

He didn't reply for a moment, and then he said softly

"You're...you're not disgusted with me? You...you don't...want to...to leave?"

She looked at Tom and at first didn't understand his statement. What did he mean leave? She searched his face for an answer, and then it dawned on her. He was so afraid she would be upset with his past and actions that he thought he'd lose her. Her heart sank and she wondered if she had ever given him the idea that she didn't accept him for who he was now. She hoped not. He had been her salvation. He had saved her from certain destruction. Now she looked deep into his beautiful blue eyes and saw a burning love there and...hope. She gently took his face into her hands and touched her forehead to his. She could feel him begin to relax, so she leaned back and again looked deep into his eyes and said

"Thomas Eugene Paris...You will never get rid of me! I love you with all my heart and soul. We were meant for each other, and if I have anything to say about it, we will be celebrating our diamond anniversary, with all of our friends, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren right here on our land. We will be together as it was said..._till death do us part..._ do you understand me?"

She gave his face a slight shake. He had tears streaming down his cheeks, but he didn't care...she loved him...even after he had told her all about his sorry past. He felt so relived and so loved. How could he have thought she would leave him? How could he have so little faith in her love? He felt ashamed that he could think such a thing. He determined to make her life as easy as he could and he promised himself he would always love her and cherish her. He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. They stayed that way for a full fifteen minuets, each content to be in each others arms. Finally Jill said

"Now, I think its time for breakfast...you go check on Micheal, and I'll make you the best breakfast you've ever had."

She stood and went towards the kitchen. She turned to watch Tom go to the bedroom, and noticed he had a spring in his step. She smiled and went to start breakfast. After each left the room, an entity, who had watched the whole scene, smiled. He had succeeded and now maybe he could have a decent conversation with this particular human. With a flash of light, he was gone.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Tom came out onto the porch, and sat in his favorite chair. He was working on a design for a new class of shuttle, and had brought the specs home to work on. Part of the perks to being the boss was the chance to work from home. Besides, he knew that both Harry and B'Elanna would hold down the fort. The department, which had started out with just five people, now was up to twenty. They were a good team, and worked well together. He had no worries that they wouldn't take care of business even if he wasn't there. He was busy working on some codes, when Micheal, Katie,and Owen came rushing out of the house.

"Dad, we promised Grandma and Grandpa we'd meet them at the transporter. It's almost time for them to come, we finished our chores, can we go now?"

Micheal the oldest said. He was eleven, and he was the unofficial spokesman of the Paris children. Katie, who was nine, gave her father a hug, and Owen, who was six, stood next to his brother. Tom looked at his kids and said

"You finished everything? Katie, did you gather the eggs and put them in the refrigerator?"

"Yes daddy and I didn't break any at all."

She said proudly and Tom smiled and gave her a kiss on her cheek. He turned to his boys and said

"Mike, Owen how bout you, did you clean the coop?"

"Yes, dad we did, and Mike made sure that the horses and cows were fed too."

Tom put the padd down and smiled at his children and said

"Okay, go meet your grandparents, and we will be having other company, so behave yourselves."

They all bounded off the porch and headed to the transporter station by the grove of trees, Tom watched them go and wondered for the millionth time how he was so lucky to have these kids. His oldest had his mother's hair coloring, and his blue eyes, Katie was the spitting image of her mother even to the cute perky nose that wrinkled when she laughed. And Owen was just like his father, Blond curls that seemed to fall in his eyes, that were the brightest blue color. His mom always said that Owen reminded her of Tom at that age.

Jill came out and sat next to Tom and watched her brood going towards then transport.

"They're excited about their grandparents coming for the weekend. They have been running around like wild Indians!"

"They love it when my parents visit. Today, they also have a visit from aunty Kathryn and uncle Chakotay. And add to that, Kolopec and Taya and we will have a houseful. I think they are going to wear us all out before the weekend is over."

They watched as the first pair of visitors materialize, and then the second group. There was lots of hugs and laughter as they all started towards the house, the kids skipping and running ahead. Tom and Jill got up and started towards the visitors, and the kids. It was going to be an interesting few days.

When they met, the kids were running around like wild Indians, talking and giggling while all the adults greeted each other. Elizabeth Paris hugged Jill and held up a basket and said

"Dear, I've brought you some of those berries from home. I have enough for you to make your wonderful jam...and maybe we have enough to make that cobbler that our husbands love so much?"

She smiled as she saw both her husband and son look expectantly at her. They were just the same when it came to treats. Jill smiled also and said

"Well, we'll just have to make sure we have a nice cobbler and some ice cream for tonight."

Now Kathryn joined the conversation and said

"Chakotay loves your cobblers, Jill, I'm sure our men will be grateful for that!"

She now looked at her husband's face. He had a grin on his face and turned to the other two men and said

"They really do know how to get to us...through our stomachs!"

Tom picked up then and added

"Jill really is an excellent cook...and the best is... no leota root!"

They all laughed then. It was an inside joke to them all. They had all been victim to Neelix's concoctions. Not long after they had gotten home, he had opened a restaurant, and at first had insisted on cooking his DQ recipes. He had invited all of the Voyager crew that was still on Earth to a pre grand opening. After a couple of hours of talking to him, they had finally talked him into hiring a couple of chef's and more traditional AQ food. They had made it out that he was more suited to being the matre'd, greeting the people and generally keeping the customer's happy. Tom had said it was like his diplomatic and moral duties he'd had on Voyager. He had like that idea, and had delayed his opening, and now Chez Neelix was a very popular place, not only with Star Fleet but with the general public. And of course Neelix was quite happy in his role.

They climbed the steps to the porch, and sat while Jill and Mrs. Paris took the berries into the house with a promise to be back shortly. Tom followed and came back out with the lemonade and glasses. He began pouring the lemonade and handing the glasses out. Once done, he retook his seat and they all took a moment to watch the kids, as they were playing. Mike came and sat down on the middle step of the porch, close enough to be able to overhear what the adults would be saying. At eleven, he had decided he was too old to be playing with the others. Katie and Taya were the same age, nine and Kolo was a year younger that Owen at five.

Tom had noticed that Mike had arrived to be with them and poured another glass of lemonade, and without saying anything held it out to his oldest son. Mike rose, and took it from his dad and then sat back down. Tom smiled and thought that his oldest son was growing up fast. He seemed to have his dad's love of flying, and showed signs of abilities in design also. Tom couldn't help it...he was proud of him. He was proud of all his kids. Katie was artistic...she loved to draw, and Owen showed signs of musical talent. He loved to sing and not a day went by that he couldn't be heard singing some obscure song. He showed an intense liking to twentieth century music, just like his dad, and sometimes Jill would find them holed up in the office listening to Tom's extensive collection of Rock and Roll.

"So, Tom what's new at the lab?"

Kathryn had asked and it had brought him back to the present. He grinned and said

"We're working on a new shuttle design...sort of a Delta Flyer two. It's got great potential. B'Elanna is just so happy, digging into her beloved engines."

Both Kathryn and Chakotay smiled, picturing her elbow deep in the warp core.

"We had invited them to spend the weekend too, but they and the kids had already made plans to spend it with Harry's family...I think B'Elanna's dad was coming too."

B'Elanna had finally made peace with her dad, and had started to build a relationship with him. He was turning out to be a good dad and granddad. Tom was happy for her, as he knew the sorrow of being estranged from your dad. He had worked hard at his own relationship with his dad, and now they were very close. His dad had made a great effort to make up for past hurts. Now Owen said, with tenderness in his voice

"I'm glad B'Elanna and her father have made up. There's nothing worst than being apart from ones children."

He looked at Tom with a smile. At that moment, Jill and Elizabeth came back out and sat down. Tom poured them both a glass and Jill said

"I've got the cobbler cooking, and dinner is ready to go when it's time. We thought we'd BBQ...hamburgers, hot dogs and all the fixings."

She looked at her son, who was still sitting on the step.

"Then, the kids decided they'd like to camp out tonight. Tom is going to pitch a couple of tents."

She looked at Kathryn and said

"Do you think Kolo will want to camp out tonight?"

"Oh, I'm sure he will. You know he just idolizes Owen. He couldn't wait to come today, asking if he could do everything Owen did!"

"Oh no, I hope not, Owen can be a little terror at times!"

Tom said with mock fear. His mother smiled and looked at her son and said

"Just like his father at that age."

Tom looked contrite and said

"Please, Mom not the stories again."

He had seen the look on Mike's face. He loved hearing his grandparents' stories of his dad as a kid. Elizabeth had also seen the look on Mike's face. She winked at him and said

"Later."

And both Mike and Tom knew that before the weekend was over that there would be stories told. Mike smiled but Tom just groaned.

The stars were out in all their glory, and Mike had brought out his telescope and now they were watching the night sky. Tom and Chakotay had pitched the tents, and now, while the kids were star gazing, the adults were sitting around the fire pit, talking. The night was warm, but the fire in the pit was nice. They had toasted marshmallows earlier and now were just enjoying the night and conversation. Kolo was sitting on his mom's lap, finally having worn down and was now dozing. Owen was sitting at his mother's feet and was also getting close to falling asleep. The three older children were still looking through the telescope at the full moon. And, Elizabeth had made good her threat, and told the children several stories of Tom as a child, much to the chagrin of her son. All in all it had been a great afternoon and evening. The men had been in charge of the BBQ and the women had brought out all the other food and set it all on the tables. They had enjoyed the meal, and then when it started getting dark, Tom and Chakotay had made the fire in the fire pit. Tom had teased Chakotay that, as a Native American, he should be a natural at building a fire. And together they had built a good one.

Now, it was getting late, so Tom said

"Okay, Mike, time to put up the telescope and go to bed."

At first, the Katie and Taya wanted to object. They were having fun looking at the moon and seeing the large dome that covered the large colony on the surface, but one look at her father's face told her not to. Taya saw the same look on her father's face, so they just said

"Okay, dad."

Mike was already taking the telescope down. Once done, Tom said

"Mike, Owen go take that inside and get ready for bed...Katie, take Taya with you to get ready."

He looked at Kathryn and she said

"I'll take care of Kolo."

She stood, and Jill led her in to get the littlest one ready for bed. Tom put the fire out, and once it was just embers and he was satisfied it wouldn't cause any problem, the kids were back. Kolo was barely awake, but had insisted on camping out with the others. He sleepily climbed into the tent, and before he climbed into his sleeping bag, he turned and smiled sleepily and said

"Night, mama, Night, papa."

His mother kissed him good night and then he crawled in and was asleep almost immediately. Owen follow suit, and so did Katie and Taya. Mike was the last to enter. Jill kissed him goodnight and said

"Good night sweetie, if the others need anything, come get us."

"Okay mom."

He yawned and turned and started to climb into the boy's tent.

"Night everyone."

The adults said good night, and then they all turned to go into the house. It had been a good day.

TBC

**A/N**

**I have a epilog to write on this one. It is almost finished. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I wasn't sure how Tom would get his memories back...or if he would, but thanks to Alpha Flyer, I chose to do it with the idea I had been toying with. Besides, I love it when Q shows up. Right now, I have another story being worked on and I plan to start posting it after this one is done. Please let me know what you thought of this two story series. Reviews are always welcome.**


	15. Chapter 15

Epilog

Tom had been up since before the sun was up. At his age,he didn't sleep as well as he had. Now, he was sitting on the porch and enjoying the early morning sun. Jill was still inside asleep, and he had not wanted to disturb her. She hadn't been feeling well lately, and he wanted to let her rest as long as possible. The Doc had come to check on her, and had said it was just the years catching up to her, but Tom was afraid it was something more serious.

Today was their fiftieth anniversary, and the Paris Clan would converged on the family home in Montana. Retired Admiral Micheal Thomas Paris would be there with all the kids and grand kids. He smiled as he thought of his oldest son. He had entered Star Fleet, became a very good pilot, and then had rose in the ranks to captain his own ship, and then to become the next Admiral in the Paris family. His dad had been happy, as there was another in a long line of Paris' in the admiralty. Tom had been happy and proud of his son. His thoughts turned to his daughter, Kathryn Elizabeth. She was a famous artist, and had married a very successful Doctor. They lived in Taos, NM and she had her own art gallery there. She not only painted, but also sculpted. Some of her work was displayed at Star Fleet Headquarters, and she had clients all over the Federation. She had painted a special portrait of her parents on their twentieth anniversary, which still hung in their bedroom. Jill had always said that Katie had painted them to look like they had when they first met. She cherished the painting. They would be there with their brood too. Then there was Owen, the youngest. Named for his grandfather, Owen Robert Paris. He was a musician. He played with the Federation Symphony and was first chair on the clarinet, which had made his uncle Harry happy. But that was not the only instrument he played. He was just as good on the piano and guitar. He also had a very good singing voice. Ever since he was a boy, he had loved to sing and he had spent many an hour singing with his father. Tom wasn't a bad singer either. Owen had not married yet, but he had a girlfriend he was bringing, and both Tom and Jill knew it was only a matter of time till he popped the question.

There would be over twenty people coming, and even though he knew it would tire Jill out, he knew she was looking forward to the family coming. She had spent the last week preparing for the day, cooking and baking. He had tried to get her to slow down, but she had shooed him out of the kitchen saying that she intended to make sure her grandchildren and great grandchildren had good treats, so she had baked cakes, pies and all kinds of good things. Tom had kept an eye on her though and when she got tired he'd take her by the hand and sit her down.

As he sat there now, a cat came up to jump up on him. Since the first four they had, Jill always made sure they had cats. She loved them and he had to admit, he liked them too. Now, Squirt settled down and began purring as Tom started to pet the cat. The act just seemed to relax him. He didn't want to think of Jill being sick. He was so afraid that if he lost her, he wouldn't be able to go on. His thoughts drifted back to the day they had met. She had been so beautiful, and he had loved her all the more. They had been made for each other, and had lived a very long happy life. He considered her his soul mate. Oh they had had their disagreements, but the love and happiness had far outweighed the bad. Tom leaned his head back and let himself be lost in thought. He didn't even turn his head when a bright flash of light announced that he was not alone. Without opening his eyes, or moving, he said

"What do you want Q?"

Q looked at the man sitting there. He was older, but had aged well. He did have deeper lines on his face, but he didn't look eighty two. He did look tired though. Q knew that he was worried about Jill's health, so he had decided to come for a visit. He had paid Tom several visits in the last fifty years, and had come to respect this human, and his wife. Jill had always treated Q well, and he couldn't quite understand why she did...until Tom said that she liked everyone, no matter if they were human or not. Now Q said in his grandiose way

"Tommy-boy how has my favorite human been?"

Tom sighed as he heard the greeting. He had given up a long time ago trying to get Q to stop calling him Tommy-boy.

"And I hear it's a big day for you and your lovely wife...Fifty years."

Q had come and sat next to Tom.

"Yeah, fifty wonderful years."

Tom said with love in his voice. Q looked at him and continued

"I've noticed that Jill isn't feeling well."

He noticed that Tom flinched a bit at the mention of Jill's health. The man was so worried about his wife. He leaned over and said softly

"Don't worry...everything will work out."

For the first time since he had appeared, Tom looked at him and said

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that all will be well...when the time comes, you'll understand."

It was a cryptic answer, and Tom wished that Q would speak plainly, but that was something he wasn't known for. Before he could reply, Jill came out and walked over to the two. She moved a lot slower now, and was a little stiff as she sat down.

"Q, what brings you here this morning."

She said as she looked at the omnipotent being. She had gotten use to him popping in at odd times.

"I just came to wish you both a happy anniversary."

He smiled at her, and Tom knew from experience that this smile from Q was genuine. He was actually sincere. Tom chuckled and Q just popped out of existence.

The anniversary had gone well. The family had made sure Jill didn't over exert herself. But by the end of the day, Tom had noticed that she had been tired out. He had insisted she go straight to bed to rest. She had, and within a few minutes, she had fallen asleep.

As the years slipped by, She finally succumbed to her age, and had died in Tom's arms. Her last words to him were for him to not grieve for her too much and neglect himself. Tearfully he had promised, and for the most part he had done what she had wanted. Now thought life was lonely. His kids and grandchildren and great grandchildren had all done their part to keep him occupied and they had spent many a day with him at home. He had enjoyed it and welcomed them home, but it was not the same without his beloved Jill. She had been buried not far from the house, and he spent a hour each day with her. She had been laid to rest by the stream in her favorite place. They had, years ago, placed a bench there and planted several types of flowers. She had loved to come and sit for hours just listening to the sound of the stream.

Now, he sat there, telling her all the news. He looked forward to his visits, even though he was having trouble walking now. But he thought, even at ninety seven, he still could get there to spend some time with her.

"Jill, my love...I made it. I admit it's getting harder. Not as spry as I was."

He chuckled and continued

"Owen and Pam were here this weekend. She reminds me of you...so loving, so kind...even to this old coot."

As he continued to talk, a being watched and listened. It was apparent that he missed her. He had in the last year gone downhill. He was having trouble walking, and his arthritis seemed to be bothering him. The being knew that the time was close, and he wanted to be there for him. Now he watched the man struggle to rise, and he gave him a little help. He watched him slowly walk back to the house. He made it to the porch and slowly sank down on the chair. He seemed to relax a little, and closed his eyes. The being choose this moment to appear.

Tom knew that Q was there. He opened his eyes and looked at him. He gave him a weak smile and said

"It's nice to see you Q. You haven't been here since..."

He was about to say since Jill died, but even after ten years, it was hard. Q looked at him and said softly

"Since Jill died..I know Tommy-boy...I should have been here before."

Tom just sighed. It was too hard to argue with the irritating Q. He was just too tired to continue. He allowed his hand to drop slowly over the chair's arm and, sighing he closed his eyes.

Suddenly, Tom was standing on his porch facing Q. He felt great. He hadn't felt this good in a long time. He looked down at himself, he saw that he looked thirty again. Looking at Q with narrowing eyes he said

"What's going on Q? What's happened?"

"Well Tom, you've finally made it. Welcome to the continuum."

"What are you talking about?"

Q nodded behind him and Tom turned. He saw...himself... sitting in the chair as an old man. He knew that he was dead. It shocked him. How was this possible? He turned back to Q and before he could say anything, Q said

"You see Tom, of all your counterparts you showed the ability to go beyond your faults and shortcomings,and you did. The continuum chose you to be a part of us. They saw in you a potential to grow beyond your boundaries."

Tom looked at Q and said

"I'm a Q?"

"Well only a Q in training...and guess who your trainer is!"

Tom was having a hard time with the situation. He shook his head and said

"This is unbelievable."

"Believe it Tommy-boy. We have an eternity to roam the cosmos. Oh and by the way, I want you to meet my other trainee."

Tom looked up and saw...Jill. His jaw dropped, and then the most silliest grin came over his face as he took her in his arms. This wasn't going to be so bad after all.

The End

**A/N Well that's it. I hope you liked it. I couldn't just let Tom die lonely, so I decided Q could be of help. And maybe Tom can teach Q a thing or two.**

**I'm now working on a new story and hope to post soon.**


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